The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in the 2023 season thanks in large part to their stout defense. The Chiefs finished with the second-most sacks and second fewest yards allowed, both of which helped propel them to another Super Bowl title.
Mike Danna was a big piece of that Chiefs defense, tallying 50 tackles and 6.5 sacks during his fourth year in the league. The 2020 fifth-rounder didn’t get much hype at the time he was drafted but he’s proven to be a talented player that Chiefs fans are fortunate to have on their squad.
That 2023 season was Danna’s best, and he was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year deal the following offseason. While Danna was fine in 2024, his numbers didn’t touch what he did the year prior (3.5 sacks and 41 total tackles), but it is worth noting that he missed time due to injury. It’s also worth mentioning that the Chiefs’ pass rush numbers were down as a whole.
The former Michigan product definitely needs to show he still has enough in the tank, especially as the Chiefs edge rusher room becomes more crowded. Danna is obviously aware of this and, as a result, has set a lofty (but attainable) goal of eight sacks for the 2025 campaign.
Chiefs fans should be fired up after hearing Mike Danna’s 2025 plan
As we saw in the 2023 season, when the Chiefs defense is cooking, they’re nearly impossible to beat, even with the offense having a down year that season. Danna contributed to that 57.0-sack season for the Chiefs defense with his 6.5 sacks and now he’s wanting to try to push for one and a half more sacks to set a new career best and cement himself as one of the more dependable pass rushers on the roster.
This is a solid goal for Danna to set as he enters his sixth season in the pros because it’s not a crazy goal. Sometimes players set sky-high expectations for themselves, and yes, it’s to motivate them, but why not set one that’s more attainable? Danna’s goal of eight sacks would give him a new personal best but it won’t be impossible for him to get to.
If Danna is able to reach his goal of eight sacks, then that’d likely mean the rest of the Chiefs’ pass-rushers are also doing their part to help get after the quarterback. A big year for Danna would be massive for the Chiefs defense and hopefully get the unit back to its 2023 level of production.