Chiefs officially re-sign DT Mike Pennel, who returns at the perfect time and could be a good omen for Super Bowl LX
Mike Pennel is officially back with the Chiefs and it couldn’t come at a better time.
The Kansas City Chiefs made things official with Mike Pennel on Wednesday, signing the veteran defensive tackle as the practice week for the Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills begins. The team waived DE Malik Herring to make room on the 53-man roster for Pennel.
Pennel requested his release from the Cincinnati Bengals, agreeing to a non-injury settlement on his contract to return to Kansas City. This comes after the Chiefs suffered a season-ending injury to rookie DT Omarr Norman-Lott, making them shorthanded along the interior. Even before that injury, Chiefs DT Chris Jones made a public appeal for Pennel’s return.
This is now Pennel’s third stint with the Chiefs (2019-2020, 2023-2024), totaling four seasons with the team during his 12-year NFL career. The 34-year-old has appeared in 42 regular-season games with Kansas City, including eight starts. During that span, he recorded 82 total tackles, six tackles for loss, five QB hits, four sacks, and one forced fumble. This season with the Bengals, Pennel appeared in eight games, recording 15 total tackles and one tackle for loss.
Pennel was spotted at practice on Wednesday as the team began work for Week 9, as captured in video from our friend FOX 4 Kansas City’s Harold R. Kuntz.
Mike Pennel returns at the perfect time and might be the Chiefs’ lucky charm
Mike Pennel’s tenure with the Chiefs has always been defined by dominant run defense, and he’s a big part of that. He transformed the team’s run defense back in 2019, and he should be a big boost for it again in 2025. While K.C. has been solid against the run, they’ll need to be extra solid moving forward. Bills RB James Cook is currently second in the NFL in rushing yards (753) and 20+ yard carries (6). He’s currently top of mind because of the Week 9 game against the Bills, but the team also has Jonthan Taylor, J.K. Dobbins, and Javonte Williams over their next four games—those three round out the top 4 in the NFL in rushing production alongside Cook.
Beyond the practical nature of Pennel’s return, he also might be a bit of a lucky charm for Kansas City, at least when he joins the club at the midseason mark.
Chiefs DT Mike Pennel’s Super Bowl Success
This marks the third time that Pennel has joined the Chiefs organization in the middle of the season. He joined the team in 2019 and 2023, years when the team won Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVIII. During the years when he spent the entire season with Kansas City in 2020 and 2024, the Chiefs lost Super Bowl LV and Super Bowl LIX.
If the Chiefs go on to win Super Bowl LX, fans might find a way to forgive Brett Veach for releasing Pennel during the team’s 53-man roster cuts. Either way, his return is a welcome boost that will bring some good energy to the defensive line.
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