'Its's been great here' – Chiefs veteran defender hopes to finish his career in Kansas City
One of the unsung heroes of the Kansas City Chiefs' roster is defensive tackle Mike Pennel. That applies to now, as well as his first stint with the Chiefs between 2019-2020. When Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV in 2019, Pennel gave the Chiefs' defense a huge boost against opposing offense's rushing attacks, which particularly […]
One of the unsung heroes of the Kansas City Chiefs' roster is defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
That applies to now, as well as his first stint with the Chiefs between 2019-2020. When Kansas City won Super Bowl LIV in 2019, Pennel gave the Chiefs' defense a huge boost against opposing offense's rushing attacks, which particularly came in handy against Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.
Pennel rejoined the Chiefs in October of 2023 as the team needed some depth along their defensive line. That decision paid off big time as he ended up starting K.C.'s final three postseason games when fellow defensive tackles Derrick Nnadi and Charles Omenihu went down with injuries.
Pennel played at a high level in those games and helped propel the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVIII, recording six total tackles – two solo and one for loss. He re-signed with K.C. during the offseason and has continued to be great against the run. While speaking to the media on Friday, Pennel expressed his desire to finish his career as a Chief.
"Everything," Pennel said when asked what it means to him to play in K.C. "This is kind of home for me, you know? Just trying to end up finishing my career here, you know, it's been great success here both times, and just trying to continue that. And, you know, the family atmosphere, the teammates, the coaches, you know, they make it feel the same every time. So it's great to be here."
Part of why Pennel loves playing in K.C. is his friendship with Chris Jones. Pennel went on to talk about what it's like playing next to the All-Pro defensive tackle.
"Oh, man, it's entertaining," Pennel said. "He makes everybody around him, level of play go up, his work ethic, his leadership – which I feel like he's really excelled in that area this year – and bringing our defense together as a whole. You know, he's such a talented player. Generational talented. He dictates where plays go. So. being on the field with him makes my job a lot easier."
The duo of Pennel and Jones set a great tone for K.C.'s fourth overall ranked defense. The Chiefs are impressively deep along the defensive line with players such as Nnadi, Omenihu (who is set to return shortly), Tershawn Wharton, Mike Danna and George Karlaftis. The unit has allowed the least amount of rushing yards in the NFL to the running back position.
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