The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive line is led by Chris Jones and company, but the company sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.
Don’t get it twisted: Jones is the best interior pass-rush specialist in all of football. He deserves the heaps of praise he gets, such as being ranked the sixth-best player in the NFL. With that said, Kansas City’s front boasts several other intriguing talents who play solid roles.
One of them is Mike Pennel, who’s a wily veteran and consistent run-stuffing presence. After rejoining the Chiefs late last season, the Topeka native appeared in three regular-season contests and all four playoff games. Now back for the long haul this time, Pennel has more of a runway to prepare for what’s ahead.
Speaking to the media this week at training camp, Pennel said that’s all a part of his plan to help make the eventual 53-man roster.
“My intent is always to be on the 53,” Pennel said. “There were special circumstances last year during the timing of everything and needing to get acclimated to the playbook and conditioning. Getting used to these practices, you need time. Me being signed early, I just want to eliminate that whole acclimation period.”
Pennel’s workload, as it has in the past, ticked up for the playoffs. In those four postseason outings, he logged 115 defensive snaps. Amassing 12 tackles (one for loss), he was an effective option once Derrick Nnadi suffered a triceps injury. That’s what prompted Super Bowl LVIII’s highest-graded interior defensive lineman (per Pro Football Focus) to run things back with Kansas City.
As Nnadi continues to rehab, Pennel is one of many defensive tackles on the depth chart. With a decade-plus of experience in the NFL, he’s used to battling for a roster spot and playing more of a rotational role for a club. Pennel understands what his strength is and why the Chiefs want him to play into it, which helps fuel his ever-growing relationship with Jones as his superstar teammate.
“I mean, to be honest, everybody knows how great Chris is,” Pennel said. “His numbers speak for themselves, his accolades do as well. When you put the tape on, me and him, we work well together. We watch film together. My intent is to make us a stout and top run defense not only in the playoffs as we did last year, we ascended, but through the entire regular season so by the playoffs, it’s not an issue of concern or anything like that.”
Aside from Pennel, Jones and Nnadi, the defensive/nose tackle room has Tershawn Wharton, Matt Dickerson, Neil Farrell Jr. and Fabien Lovett Sr. in the mix. Dickerson ate up plenty of snaps before Pennel got signed in late 2023. Wharton and Farrell both bring some energy to the table, and Lovett is a recent undrafted free agent pickup with an interesting athletic profile. Pennel is the longest-tenured professional of the group, but he has significant competition nonetheless.
He embraces it, though, just like he did when he originally latched on with the Chiefs for their Super Bowl LIV run. Even at the age of 33 and having played for two different teams between his stints in Kansas City, Pennel remained a fan favorite upon his return. That didn’t change when he re-signed in the spring, and it won’t change for the rest of camp. The organization is also fond of him, as evidenced by the effort to bring him back.
If you ask Pennel, he’ll tell you that admiration is reciprocated.
“It’s the atmosphere,” Pennel said. “The first year I was here with the guys and the relationships I built, we won the Super Bowl. Coach Reid, he demands success out of everyone. There are no vet days here – that’s why you see older players here who are playing at a high level, there are no shortcuts [and] there are no days off. I think all of that played into coming back to Kansas City.”
