The Kansas City Chiefs will be without DE Mike Danna for Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts. Danna suffered a calf injury at the end of the Week 2 game and has missed practice all week. Reid officially ruled him out during his Friday press conference.
It’s a big loss for the Chiefs, as Danna has the third-most pressures on the team through two weeks according to PFF. A big theme this week has been the “next man up” mentality, with Willie Gay Jr.’s suspension at the forefront of the discussion. This situation is no different for Kansas City.
While rookie DE George Karlaftis and veterans Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap will play the majority of the snaps in Indy, Chiefs HC Andy Reid revealed that they have one player in mind as the next man up in place of Danna. Reid was asked by ESPN’s Adam Teicher whether the next man up would be former fourth-round draft pick Joshua Kaindoh.
“He’s not right now,” Reid said. “We’ve had more than we need (depth-wise) there. We’ll let 94 (Malik Herring) jump in there and get a few reps, potentially.”
Herring sat out the 2021 NFL season with a knee injury that he suffered in practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He made the 53-man roster this year, but has been a healthy scratch to this point. Should he play on Sunday against the Colts as Reid suggests, he’ll be making his NFL debut.
“(It’s a) dream come true to make my first NFL debut,” Herring told Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick. “I can’t wait to see how it goes.”
The former Georgia Bulldog recorded three pressures during the 2022 NFL preseason, including one sack against the Chicago Bears in preseason Week 1. Listed at 6-3 and 275 pounds, Herring has a good combination of size and speed, which should make him difficult for tackles to handle when aligned outside. A big part of Danna’s game was the versatility to play inside on clear passing downs. It’s unclear whether the Chiefs will ask Herring to do the same.
