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Bills Sign Former Chiefs LB Mike Danna, Release CB Devonshire

5/12/2026

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Summary

Bills Sign Mike Danna

The Buffalo Bills signed outside linebacker Mike Danna to a one-year contract on May 11, 2026.
The Bills released outside cornerback MJ Devonshire to maintain the 90-player roster limit.
Danna, a 2020 fifth-round pick from Central Michigan and Michigan, spent six seasons with Kansas City Chiefs and was released on Feb. 23, 2026.
He adds two Super Bowl rings, 21.5 career sacks and a strip sack on Josh Allen in the Jan. 26, 2025 AFC Championship.

Summary

Danna Wears 51

Danna will wear No. 51 as his jersey number with the Bills.
In 2023 he posted a career-high 50 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits.
During the 2025 season he added four quarterback hits and three tackles for loss.
Over his six-year NFL career he started 49 of 87 games and recorded 51 quarterback hits.

Summary

Bills Shift Defense

The Bills are shifting to a 3-4 defense under new head coach Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Greg Rousseau moved to outside linebacker, creating a backup competition in which Mike Danna will vie behind starters Bradley Chubb and Rousseau.
Free-agency signings of Bradley Chubb, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Dee Alford and Geno Stone, plus drafting Clemson edge-rusher T.J. Parker with the 35th overall pick in 2026, bolstered the defense.

History

Historical Context

The NFL’s 1993 unrestricted free-agency class opened player movement, a rule that still governs roster building today. That offseason 471 players were eligible, and Buffalo Bills began leveraging the market, later adding veterans such as linebacker Corey Graham. The Bills’ continued reliance on free agency shapes their defensive strategy in each new season.

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Bills Sign Mike Danna

The Buffalo Bills signed outside linebacker Mike Danna to a one-year contract on May 11, 2026.
The Bills released outside cornerback MJ Devonshire to maintain the 90-player roster limit.
Danna, a 2020 fifth-round pick from Central Michigan and Michigan, spent six seasons with Kansas City Chiefs and was released on Feb. 23, 2026.
He adds two Super Bowl rings, 21.5 career sacks and a strip sack on Josh Allen in the Jan. 26, 2025 AFC Championship.

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