Chiefs Veteran Now Likely to Miss Week 7 Game With Injury
The Kansas City Chiefs are feeling nice and rested thanks to a well-deserved bye week following a flawless 5-0 start to the 2024 NFL season. A tough test awaits the Chiefs in Week 7 as they're scheduled for a Super Bowl LVIII rematch against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Sunday.
As the Chiefs prepare for the looming showdown, fans are wondering if defensive end Michael Danna will be healthy enough to face the 49ers. The veteran defender missed Wednesday's practice with a pectoral strain, leaving his status for the weekend up in the air.
Unfortunately, the latest update on Danna's situation doesn't provide much hope for a Week 7 appearance.
Chiefs Injury News: DE Michael Danna Misses Thursday's Practice
Arrowhead Pride's Pete Sweeney is reporting that Danna failed to practice on Thursday. If he doesn't practice again on Friday, chances are that he won't be in the lineup at Levi's Stadium this weekend.
The #Chiefs say DE Mike Danna will not practice on Thursday. When Danna couldn't play in Week 4, DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah's snaps came in at 46%, around 26% more than usual.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 17, 2024
At the end of the day, it might be in the Chiefs' best interest to give Danna another week off to heal. In addition to dealing with his current pectoral injury, the Detroit, MI native also dealt with a calf injury in September that forced him to miss a Week 4 showdown with the rival Los Angeles Chargers.
Drafted 177th overall in 2020, Danna has become one of the Chiefs' most important defenders. The ex-Michigan product started in all 20 of his appearances between the 2023 regular season and playoffs and already played 175 defensive snaps across four starts this season.
Danna's production thus far has been a mixed bag. Although he's averaging the same number of solo tacklers per game as last season (2.0), he's only registered 0.5 sacks, which would put him on pace for a career-worst of two in a 17-game season.
Pro Football Focus paints Danna as an average DE with a defense-grade of 63.9 — No. 56 out of 114 eligible exterior defenders. He also comes in at No. 66 as a pass rusher and No. 61 against the run, meaning his absence will likely be noticeable — regardless of how long he's out for.
If Danna sits out in Week 7, Felix Anudike-Uzomah will likely see a bump in playing time. The former 2023 first-rounder played a season-high 26 defensive snaps when Danna was absent in Week 4, resulting in three total tackles and a pair of quarterback hits.
Regardless of whether Danna plays or not, Andy Reid needs a full effort from his players this weekend. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently listing the Chiefs as 1.5-point underdogs against the 49ers in a game with a projected total of 47.5 points.
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