The National Football League is a ruthless business. It won't stop for anybody, and teams will always do what's in their best interests. As you may know by now, the Kansas City Chiefs aren't the exception to that rule.
That's why veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones made the most of the opportunity to express his unhappiness with their decision to cut ties with Mike Pennel on Thursday. Jones hopes Pennel can return at some point.
Chris Jones Wants Ex-Chief Mike Pennel Back in Kansas City
Ahead of Sunday's divisional matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, a reporter asked Jones what the team missed without Mike Pennel. According to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, his response was pretty blunt:
“Everything,” Jones responded. “And hopefully, you know, life throws a full circle, and we get my guy back. Mike Pennel is a heck of a locker room guy, and you know so many things I can say about my brother. We’ve got to get my brother back.”
Notably, this isn't the first time that Jones has had something to say about one of his former teammates leaving the team. He's been outspoken about his desire to get DE Frank Clark back in Kansas City, and he's now campaigning for Pennel.
The Chiefs released Pennel during their final roster cuts in late August. The Cincinnati Bengals signed the former Chief to their practice squad and ultimately added him to their 53-man roster. So far, he's made six appearances for Zac Taylor's team, logging 14 tackles, three defensive stops, two pressures, and one tackle for loss.
The Chiefs have missed Pennel's presence in the interior of the defensive line, as they're currently giving up 119.2 rushing yards per game, the 13th-most in the league. Even so, it's hard to envision they would have any sort of interest in trading for him, and the Bengals aren't likely to cut him, either.
Also, this isn't even the first time that the Chiefs have chosen to move on from Pennel. They let him leave in 2020 before bringing him back three years later for another two-year stint, so he might not want to go through all of that again.
All in all, the timing of the question was odd, but Jones has already shared his two cents on the matter. And with a date with star rookie RB Asthon Jeanty up next, it definitely wouldn't hurt to have Pennel there.