How Pennel Is Paying Mentorship Forward After Re-Signing With Chiefs

There might not be more of a magnetic personality in the Chiefs’ locker room than big Mike Pennel. With charisma and authenticity to match his 6-4, 330-pound frame, Pennel said Monday that re-signing with the Chiefs in March was an easy choice.

“I realized that I'd have to sacrifice some things to get back here if I wanted to be back here,” the nose tackle said after Monday morning’s practice, “and timing would have to work out. So, it came down to, if you really love the game, it wasn't really a hard decision for me. I never played at this point for money, so just being here and being able to contribute and being able to be that close to be part of history, that was enough for me.”

History for Pennel means the opportunity to play in a fifth Super Bowl. With a transaction history longer than Andy Reid’s list of favorite cheeseburgers, Pennel helped the Chiefs to Super Bowls in 2019 and 2020, then signed with Atlanta in 2021. After a year in Chicago, he returned to Kansas City to assist the Chiefs in the Super Bowls in 2023 and ’24.

Betting on himself

Pennel, who said his bet on himself paid off, loves everything about playing for the Chiefs.

“I speak with these guys every other day about leaving and coming back,” he said after following chairman and CEO Clark Hunt at the podium. “I got a great relationship with everybody, top level here, from the janitor to the media to the coaches.

“I like to tell guys, when you leave here and you come back, you realize how special this place is. And when you get to this time of your career, you don't know how many more of these you got. You literally wake up and that's my energy boost. That's my pre-workout, just being here and being able to live my dream.”

Mike Pennel, Chris Jones, George Karlaftis — Jul 22, 2025; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackles Mike Pennel Jr. (69) and Chris Jones (95) and defensive end George Karlaftis (56) walk down the hill to the practice fields during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Only 1 appearance on NFL injury report

Pennel, 34, has been an energy boost for Steve Spagnuolo primarily because the nose tackle is rarely sidelined by injury. Not only did Pro Football Focus rank Pennel as the Chiefs’ top defensive tackle against the run last season, but he’s also appeared on an NFL injury report only once in his career. Kansas City welcomes his influence on rookies such as Omarr Norman-Lott, Ashton Gillotte and Jeffrey Bassa.

And after players like Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and B.J. Raji mentored him as an undrafted free agent with the Packers, Pennel is happy to pay that energy forward. He said the fact that the team’s best players – including Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce - have the best work ethics makes mentorship easier.

“So, when you come in and you see guys at that level, pillars of the franchise, like even Trav and Pat, everybody's getting extra work. It's real easy to be immersed in that when everybody's doing it. So, everybody's leading by example.”

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