Cincinnati Bengals Signing Two-Time Super Bowl Champion to Help Address Key Weakness

CINCINNATI — The Bengals are signing veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel to their practice squad according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

While the veteran will be on Cincinnati's practice squad, it sounds like he'll get consideration for the 53-man roster in the near future.

"The plan is to start Pennel—a 2x Super Bowl champ—on the practice squad, and then get elevated early in the season," Jordan Schultz tweeted. "Another veteran addition to Cincinnati."

The two-time Super Bowl Champion will join a defensive line room that includes Trey Hendrickson, Shemar Stewart and TJ Slaton.

Pennel, 34, won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs and has spent time with the Packers, Jets, Falcons and Bears.

Current Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery was with Pennel in Green Bay for two seasons (2015-16). The Bengals are giving themselves a proven nose tackle behind Slaton.

Pennel had three sacks and 25 tackles in 17 games for the Chiefs last season. He has five career sacks and 231 tackles in 138 career games.

Rest of the Room

Could Pennel take McKinnley Jackson's spot as the backup nose tackle? That's the real question.

The Bengals kept six defensive tackles on their initial 53-man roster for a reason. They're down to five now after the Bengals waived Eric Gregory (claimed by Patriots), but Pennel is certainly the type of player that will push for a spot on the roster.

"I think it was important to keep depth there," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said on cut down day after the team kept six defensive tackles. "As you remember early last season. You know, we went through that depth pretty quickly, so I think if there's a spot to go heavy, sometimes it's in those areas. And so that helped us in our decision there."

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