The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel on a one-year contract this offseason after he served as an underrated rotational cog throughout the 2023-24 Super Bowl run.
Since then, Pennel has appeared in all nine 2024 outings for the Chiefs, starting five of them. He’s recorded 2.0 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss and 6 key defensive stops over that span.
On November 15, Pennel addressed the media ahead of KC’s Week 11 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, and he expressed an interest in closing out his career with the Chiefs.
“This is kind of home for me,” Pennel said after noting that it means “everything” for him to be back in Kansas City after bouncing around the NFL following his first championship run with the organization. “Just trying to end up finishing my career here. It’s been great success here both [seasons with the Chiefs].”
“Just trying to continue that [success],” the veteran lineman went on. “And the family atmosphere — the teammates, the coaches — they make it feel the same every time so it’s great to be here.”
Chiefs Have Only Lost 1 Game Since Bringing Mike Pennel Back Into the Fold in 2023
Obviously, the Chiefs remain undefeated at a perfect 9-0 record in 2024, but they actually have an incredible win percentage spanning back to Pennel’s active roster return last year.
Pennel spent most of the 2023 campaign with the practice squad, but he was eventually elevated to the active roster and utilized down the stretch. He appeared in three regular season games a season ago — from Week 15 through Week 17 — and Kansas City went 2-1 with him back in the lineup.
Liking what they saw, the Chiefs then activated Pennel for all four playoff outings, including the Super Bowl. After defeating the San Francisco 49ers for their second straight championship, KC posted a 4-0 postseason record last winter.
To be clear, the Chiefs went 9-5 before Pennel re-entered the fold on defense. Then 6-1 afterward — if you count the playoffs. They are 9-0 with Pennel in 2024.
So, to recap, Kansas City is a dominant 15-1 since choosing to play Pennel in 2023. And while no one’s saying the Chiefs are solely winning football games because of a 33-year-old defensive tackle, it’s hard to argue that Pennel hasn’t had an important impact on this defense — particularly in run defense.
Pro Football Focus graded Pennel’s run defense at a solid 67.3 in 2023 and a 68.0 this season. His 2024 tackling marks are a 73.1, with zero missed tackles over the first nine games.
Earlier in 2023, this was an area Steve Spagnuolo’s unit struggled. With Pennel, the run defense has been much more consistent.
Chiefs Could Continue to Offer Mike Pennel 1-Year Deals Until He Retires
Circling back to Pennel’s retirement comment, there’s really no reason for a split to occur after the 2024 campaign. Well, besides one.
If the Chiefs were to win the Super Bowl, completing their quest for a three-peat, that would offer Pennel the opportunity to ‘go out on top,’ so to speak. And if he chooses to retire after this year, he’d be ending his career in Kansas City as he wishes.
Let’s say he’s got some more gas left in the tank, however. In that scenario, it’d make a lot of sense for the Chiefs to continue to offer Pennel one-year deals until he decides to call it quits.
Clearly, he’s had a positive impact on this defense, and he doesn’t cost much at a $1.21 million base salary this year. It also doesn’t sound like Pennel’s going to leave for more money elsewhere, based on his comments on November 15.
That sets up a likely scenario where Pennel retires with KC, either in 2025 or sometime after that.
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