Sometimes, the NFL season feels like a long, grueling golf tournament. You just have to stay patient and trust your swing. For one veteran defender, the course got a lot more familiar all of a sudden. The path has led him right back to a place that feels like home.
That journey ended on Nov. 1, when Mike Pennel officially rejoined the Kansas City Chiefs. The massive defensive tackle spoke with reporters, and his relief was obvious. He described his wild ride through a simple truth. “It's been crazy, man,” Pennel stated,
via KSHB 41. “The NFL experience, though. So, just glad to be back. A lot of trips, a lot of stops, but glad to be here.”
The Road Back to Kansas City Started With a Request
This reunion almost feels destined. Pennel confirmed he personally requested his release from the Cincinnati Bengals. "Just for the sake of accuracy, did you ask for your release with Cincinnati?" A reporter asked Mike, as you can see from the clip linked above, to which he replied, "Yes." And he pinpointed the moment he knew his time there was ending.
“Probably a little bit after the Jets game. Had some time to think and was talking with my family and everything and didn't really know what direction I was going to go after that,” Pennel revealed. He talked with his family and then took a calculated risk. Fortunately, the Chiefs were waiting. And the gut feeling turned into homecoming. Moreover, his connection to Kansas City runs incredibly deep.
“My family is long-standing Kansas City Chiefs fans,” Mike Pennel said with a smile. “Even though we all bleed red, we bleed a little bit of yellow, too, for KC.” He also shared a more personal tie, noting, “The doctor who cured me. I went through chemos here.” Mike suffered from Wilms' tumor at age 2.
It's a rare kidney cancer. He was treated at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and underwent 18 months of chemotherapy. He was officially cleared of recurrence 10 years later. Comebacks are nothing new to Mike. He has had to fight many battles. And yet he stands tall.
Mike Pennel: A Welcome Reinforcement
Walking back into the building felt natural. “When you've been somewhere this long, you have connections with everybody,” he explained.
The Chiefs' defense immediately gains a proven run-stuffer. Mike Pennel brings familiarity and toughness to Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. Furthermore, his presence is a locker-room win. According to KC Sports Network, teammate Chris Jones had publicly campaigned for this, calling Pennel “a heck of a locker room guy.” His pursuit was relentless. "We gotta get my brother back," Jones added. And he clearly got his wish.
A reporter asked Pennel, "Did you hear Chris's pitch to have you come back?" His reply? "Yeah, I've seen all that crazy stuff." Did it influence him? Chances are, it did. Besides, this isn’t just a sentimental signing; it’s a strategic one.
So, what can Chiefs fans expect?
They get a player who knows how to win here. Interestingly, this is his third midseason arrival in Kansas City. The previous two trips ended with Super Bowl parades. Mike Pennel played it cool about the trend. “I mean, I didn't know that,” he joked. “However, fate has it.” He took a big risk to make this happen, but he has zero regrets.
“Once we laid out all the options,” Pennel concluded. “Talked to all the people. Glad we made the right move.” It seems some stories are just meant to come full circle, much like the final scene in The Natural, where Roy Hobbs finally comes home.