A former Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs under head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes has just been released by the Cincinnati Bengals. Wasting no time, he headed straight back to Kansas City, where reports say that he’s re-signed with the Chiefs. Fans are already fired up after his return, and head coach Andy Reid has shared his thoughts on the reunion.

“Chiefs HC Andy Reid on DT Mike Pennel: (Brett) Veach is all over that stuff… I haven’t seen Mike Pennel. If he’s back up, that’s great. Another good player in there… You guys know him,” Charles Goldman, Conference Managing Editor at @AtoZSportsNFL and former writer for @TheChiefsWire, wrote on his official X.

Pennel has spent about four years with the Chiefs across two separate periods, contributing to two Super Bowl championships with the team in 2020 and 2024. In 202, he recorded 29 combined tackles, including 13 solos and 16 assisted tackles. In the 2024 season, this number fell to 25 with defensive snaps restricted to 29.6%. Interestingly, the Chiefs’ star defensive tackle pursued the team to bring in the defensive lineman.

When asked what the Chiefs’ Defense was missing without Pennel, he replied, “Everything”. “Hopefully, life goes full circle when we get my guy back,” Jones said. “Mike Pennel is a heck of a locker-room guy. And so many things I can say about my brother. “We got to get my brother back.”

Inclusion of a veteran, who is familiar with Reid and Mahomes’ playcalling, can be a major boost to the team’s secondary. He definitely can turn out to be a difference maker in the Chiefs’ defense while it bounces back.

Chiefs bounce back after a sluggish start

The Chiefs have managed to regain their momentum and are now sitting at 5-3 after an early-season slump. Pennel’s return will further provide a boost to their campaign. Before being released by Cincinnati, the 34-year-old veteran racked up 15 tackles, including 8 solos, in all 8 games this season. He also managed 133 defensive snaps and played 41 on special teams. His return will complement Kansas City, which has been setting the tone straight.

The Chiefs’ offense and defense are showing steady improvement. Things are turning around for them, and they are turning into one of the most balanced squads in the league.  After a shaky 1-2 start, the offense has exploded back. It is constantly putting up around 28 points in the last few games. Mahomes is also back in his elite form and connecting with his weapons like Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy, both stepping up after suspensions and early-season injury, respectively.

“We have a lot of weapons. We have a lot of guys and they all love each other, and they want each other to succeed,” Mahomes said. “We want to be better than what we are now, but this was a good step in the right direction.”