NFL insider reveals Bengals' true reasoning for their unexpected release of Mike Pennel

ESPN's Ben Baby reports both sides reached a non-injury settlement which terminated Pennel's contract.

The Bengals initially signed Pennel to their practice squad just under a week before the regular season began. The plan was to elevate him for one game and then sign him to the active roster, which happened leading up to Week 2. He settled into a role as one of the first defensive linemen off the bench behind starters B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr.

Cincinnati needed Pennel, and Pennel wanted out for a clear reason.

Mike Pennel wants to win again with his old team

The Kansas City Chiefs are likely to sign Pennel back this week. The Chiefs releasing him during final cuts was not only a surprise, but it sparked Pennel wanting to sign with the team that handed Kansas City its only non-Super Bowl playoff loss in the last six years. All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones also proclaimed for the team to get Pennel back earlier in the month.

While Cincinnati is 3-5 and coming off arguably the worst loss in Zac Taylor's tenure as head coach, the Chiefs are now 5-3 and fresh off a big "Monday Night Football" victory. They are surging back in their quest for yet another AFC West division title. Pennel knows their defense intimately and is needed after the loss of rookie Omarr Norman-Lott.

Things aren't looking to great for the Bengals, specifically with the defense Pennel became a part of in such short time. He could only do so much as a rotational DT at the age of 34. It's completely understandable a player near the end of his career wouldn't want to tied to a potentially sinking ship; not when his former team would want him back.

It's an unfortunate reality, but that's where things are at in Cincinnati.