By Matt McMullen – Chiefs.com Reporter
The Kansas City Chiefs bolstered their defensive line on Monday by re-signing veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
The 33-year-old Pennel returns for his third-consecutive season in Kansas City and his fifth overall when including his first stint with the Chiefs from 2019-20. Pennel appeared in all 17 games last year (with seven starts), logging a career-most three sacks. His 320 defensive snaps ranked third among defensive tackles on the team behind only Chris Jones and Tershawn Wharton.
A stout run-defender, Pennel was graded as the Chiefs’ top defensive tackle against the run last season by Pro Football Focus. Additionally, among interior linemen with at least 150 run-defense snaps (a pool of 99 players), Pennel ranked 13th in the NFL last season against the run according to PFF’s metrics.
Overall, Pennel was a significant contributor to a Chiefs’ defense that ranked fourth in the league in scoring last season, and now re-signed, he’ll aim to pick right back up where he left off next season.
