Needing to add experienced depth on the defensive line, the Buffalo Bills signed DE Mike Danna to a one-year deal.
Danna comes to Buffalo after five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs where he had immense success, winning two Super Bowls and playing in four total. He brings with him a ton of postseason experience and production that could help shore up any issues from injuries or inexperience.
Despite all the success that Danna has had in the league from a team perspective, he also has been a mainstay on the injury report.
Read below for a full injury history and analysis.
Injury History
2020 Kansas City Chiefs
Hamstring injury, Week 4, missed 1 game.
Danna suffered a hamstring strain in the first half of the Week 4 contest against the New England Patriots, missing the following game.
2021 Chiefs
Groin, Week 1, missed 0 games.
Danna appeared on the injury report with a groin designation ahead of Week 2 but practiced in full all week without a designation.
2022 Chiefs
Calf injury, Week 2, missed 4 total games.
Danna suffered a calf injury in the Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He then proceeded to miss the next three games before returning in Week 6 in a limited snap count at 34 percent. He then missed the Week 7 game and had the bye week to get fully healthy.
Illness, Week 16, missed 0 games.
He was unable to practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning in full on Friday with a questionable designation but played.
2023 Chiefs
Calf injury, preseason, missed several weeks.
Danna suffered a calf injury on the first day of padded practices which kept him out of practice through the first preseason game before returning in the second preseason game and playing. calf injury, first day of padded practices
Rib injury, Week 5, missed 0 games.
He was able to practice in full all week despite a rib designation on the injury report.
Veteran Rest, Week 18, missed 1 game.
Danna was questionable heading into Week 18 and held out due to a coaches decision.
2024 Chiefs
Quadriceps injury, Week 1, missed 0 games.
Danna showed up as a quad designation but able to practice in full both Weeks 2 and 3.
2024 Chiefs
Calf injury, Week 4, missed 1 game.
Danna suffered a calf injury in the Wednesday practice leading up to Week 4 and wasn’t able to practice Thursday and was limited Friday before being downgraded to out.
Left Pectoral injury, Week 5, missed 3 games.
He suffered a left pectoral strain in the Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints. He took advantage of a well-timed bye and missed the following three games until returning in Week 10. He was still on the injury report for the following two weeks as he wore a shoulder harness to protect the area.
2025 Chiefs
Left Quadriceps injury, Week 2, missed 2 games.
Danna was forced to leave in the first quarter with what was described as a hip injury later reclassified as a quad injury. He missed the next two games.
Buffalo Bills Injury Analysis
Danna has missed 11 games over his five seasons in the league due to injury. All of the games that he’s missed have been due to soft tissue issues which is unfortunately common but what’s notable is come playoff time, he hasn’t missed any games and hasn’t been on the injury report.
Looking at the injury concerns, he’s had every lower body soft tissue injury at different points with his calf injury being the most nagging issue. The calf injuries alone have cost him five games along with a portion of the preseason. Despite not having a calf injury since 2024, there is still a 20.7 percent chance that he has a future calf injury.
The other injuries are almost like whack-a-mole, if it’s not a hamstring, it’s a groin or quad or something else. It’s almost a guarantee that he will be on the injury report this year and miss a few games. There’s a wide variety of issues he’s dealt with. The only soft tissue injury I’m not concerned with is the pectoral injury. Those happen more with blocking or tackling at his position but we tend to not see these linger or have a higher recurrence like the lower body strains.
The one positive that I go back to is that he’s been available for every playoff run the Chiefs have had. Is this luck or does he know when to step up? That is sorely missing from Bills playoff runs where they lose a key contributor and depth is stressed or it simply isn’t there.
I’m not certain that Mike Danna is the answer the Bills are looking for. I’m not certain that he will play in every game either due to injury. But the guy knows what it takes to get through a long season and knows what the top of the mountain looks like. There’s value in that.
Overall, I’m neutral on the signing. He’s not a game changer that somehow landed in the Bills lap that is a missing piece, additionally, he carries an injury history. But if he can be a veteran asset that can be available at key parts of the season, sign me up. Hopefully he is a rotational depth player that can help the Bills make a deep playoff run.
I’d like to welcome Mike Danna to Buffalo and to remain healthy this season.
Top Photo Credit: AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann
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