Chiefs GM Brett Veach’s most perplexing roster decision could come back to bite him after Mike Pennel joins conference rival
It’s unfortunate it came to this.
When the Kansas City Chiefs trimmed their roster down to 53 players last week, the most surprising cut was easily veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
Despite consistently running with the first-team defense throughout training camp and preseason, Kansas City moved on from Pennel after the two sides couldn’t agree to terms financially.
Recent comments from general manager Brett Veach left the door open for Pennel to potentially return, but now that won’t happen. According to a report from Jeremy Fowler, Pennel is signing with the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad.
Pennel previously played for Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery during their time with the Green Bay Packers from 2015 to 2016. Not only is it a blow that Pennel won’t be returning to K.C., but so is the fact that he signed with a conference rival like the Bengals.
He will likely be fast-tracked to Cincinnati’s 53-man roster, where he’ll join All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson along the defensive line. The Chiefs acquired Derrick Nnadi, who spent the first seven years of his career in K.C., in a trade with the New York Jets following the conclusion of the preseason.
He is already listed as a starter on the Chiefs’ depth chart and projects to get plenty of work on early down situations. Nnadi will play alongside All-Pro Chris Jones. Also in the mix at DT is rookie Omarr Norman-Lott and veteran Jerry Tillery. K.C. has three on its practice squad: Marlon Tuipulotu, Zacch Pickens, and Brodric Martin.
Defensive ends Charles Omenihu and Mike Danna also have the versatility to play DT, so expect to see them rotate inside periodically. The Chiefs are also banking on the development of Norman-Lott. He is entering the league with a nice pass-rush skill set and has put on some weight to become more of a force against the run.
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