The Chiefs signed defensive lineman Mike Pennel in October and made him part of their defensive line rotation over the second half of the 2019 season.
Pennel’s arrival was followed by a sharp improvement in the team’s run defense, which can’t be totally credited to one player but Pennel certainly didn’t hurt things up front while recording 24 tackles and a sack in eight games. He added seven tackles and a hit on 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the Super Bowl to wrap up a season that left Pennel feeling good.
He said this week that he felt coming to the Chiefs helped him revive his career after two seasons with the Jets and that he’d like to do it again in 2020.
“I’d definitely like to stay here,” Pennel said, via the Kansas City Star. “I know this is the place where I work well with the coaches, I love the fan base, I love the city and my family stays out here. I know it’s a business, but I told my agents and I told everybody in the Kansas City Chiefs organization that I’d like to be back.”
Pennel’s unlikely to break the bank, but there are a lot of pieces for the Chiefs to consider as they try to remain on top of the AFC and NFL next season.