Kansas City is reuniting with its former fifth-round pick, as Mike Danna is back with the reigning champs on a new contract.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ free agency cycle slowed down for a bit, but general manager Brett Veach is back to work following the club’s trade of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. This time, a familiar face is returning to Kansas City for the 2024-25 campaign and beyond.

According to a Friday evening report from Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, defensive end Mike Danna is signing with the Chiefs. The free agent contract is a three-year deal.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Danna’s deal contains $13 million in guaranteed money and is for $24M in total. Nate Taylor of The Athletic notes that “several teams” were pursuing Danna on the market.

Danna, 26, was a fifth-round selection and the 177th overall pick by Kansas City back in 2020. In four seasons with the club, he’s logged 128 combined tackles with 39 quarterback hits, 17 sacks, four passes defended and four forced fumbles. This past season was Danna’s best, seeing him play in 16 regular-season contests and record career-high marks in tackles (50), sacks (6.5) and snaps played (745). In the Chiefs’ playoff run, he had two quarterback hits and logged nearly 200 snaps on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

Late last month, Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report broke down Danna’s ongoing free agency situaton. Here’s some of what Brisco wrote on Danna still being on the open market:

“Danna, at 26 years old, was ranked as free agent No. 103 by Pro Football Focus with a projected contract of three years, $24.75 million, with $14.75 million guaranteed, averaging $8.25 million per year. Essentially, a two-year deal worth something like $15 million, all guaranteed. Danna isn’t a top-level difference-maker who can demand elite money, but he’s better (and younger) than the usual type of pass-rushers who routinely take one-year “prove-it deals” to jump from team to team. Perhaps that puts him in a strange middle class for teams looking for help at defensive end, but it should bode well for the Chiefs’ chances to retain Danna now.”

By bringing Danna back, Kansas City insulates its defensive line in a major way. Finding a way to lock him and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to long-term contracts makes for a nice offseason on that side of the ball. Defensive line coach Joe Cullen now doesn’t have to force 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah into extended action if he doesn’t want to, and the Chiefs have insurance as Charles Omenihu works his way back from a torn ACL.

Less than a full month into his first free agency experience, Danna is back where it all began. Now, both sides can pursue another championship together as the 2024 season approaches.