Bengals have big plans for Chiefs' recent cut

The 34-year-old defensive tackle was released by the Chiefs when they trimmed the roster to 53 players. 

The Chiefs believed Pennel still had the "juice" to play in the league this year, but made the decision to release him because they wanted to get younger on the defensive line.

"I think with every position group, we’re trying to get better, and we’re trying to add competition,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week via Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest. “I think that was one position group we were trying to continually get deeper, get younger, get more athletic.”

The Green Bay Packers initially signed Pennel as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has spent time with the New York Jets, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons.

The Bengals are adding a player who can be a key contributor for a playoff push. Pennel had a solid season in 2024, recording 25 tackles, a career-high three sacks and one forced fumble. 

During his 11 seasons in the league, Pennel has appeared in 138 games and started 25. He's made 231 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles.