Plenty of teams are still making moves prior to their Week 1 matchups. With the Cincinnati Bengals awaiting September 7, a former two-time Super Bowl Champion has been signed to their practice squad.
While he won’t make an immediate impact on the team, this veteran defensive tackle is the latest installment of the Bengals prioritizing their defense. After the Trey Hendrickson extension, Cincinnati knows their Super Bowl window is now.
Cincinnati Bengals Latest Free Agent Signing is DT Mike Pennel
Mike Pennel, 34, brings plenty of experience to Cincinnati. The former Kansas City Chiefs player enjoyed two stints on the team, taking home rings from Super Bowl LIV and LVIII.
The Kansas native’s rise to prominence is notable. After going undrafted in 2014, Pennel had to earn his place on the Super Bowl Champions roster. He spent three years in Green Bay before taking his talents to the New York Jets. A brief stint on the New England Patriots practice squad led to his first season in Kansas City.
From there, Pennel bounced around quite a bit. He started on the Chicago Bears practice squad before heading to Atlanta, then back to Chicago, followed by his second-stint in Kansas City. Now, the defensive tackle with more than 200 career tackles will join Hendrickson in Cincinnati.
According to PFF, Mike Pennel played 170 snaps in run defense last season and ranked 16th of 147 graded DTs on those plays.
Feels like a formidable addition to the #Bengals defense in early September. pic.twitter.com/xmIkCHXKCH
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) September 1, 2025
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It’s no secret the Bengals have a bottom tier defense. Time and time again Joe Burrow showed out last season only for his defense to let him down. If his team made the playoffs, there’s no doubt Burrow would have taken home his first MVP trophy.
Regardless, Cincinnati’s front office is far from perfect. Their Hendrickson dilemma boiled over into issues with their 2025 first round pick, Shemar Stewart. Now, everything has been solved and both will be on the field in 2025.
Mike Pennel’s Career is Far From Over
While his age is catching up to him, Pennel played in all 17 games last season. The 6’4” 330-pound DT turned back the clock with 25 total tackles, just one shy of his total in 2022. From 2017-22, Pennel had 21+ tackles in each season. His career high came in 2017 when he finished with 35, 20 of those being solo tackles.
Sources: The #Bengals are signing former #Chiefs DT Mike Pennel.
The plan is to start Pennel – a 2x Super Bowl champ- on the practice squad, and then get elevated early in the season. Another veteran addition to Cincinnati. pic.twitter.com/nKOciW7bv9
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 1, 2025
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Jordan Schultz wrote, “The plan is to start Pennel – a 2X Super Bowl champ – on the practice squad, and then get elevated early in the season. Another veteran addition to Cincinnati.”
This free agent signing comes on the heels of Burrow gaining extra protection with Dalton Risner. Risner was officially signed to the team on August 28, just four days prior to this Pennel announcement.
No matter how much money they’re giving Burrow, Hendrickson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, Cincinnati continues to make key signings. None of the players they’ve added are going to be the sole reason for them making a deep run in the playoffs, but after all, it’s a team game.
Burrow learned that more than anyone last season. While he got off to a slow start, HC Zac Taylor made sure that wouldn’t happen again this season. With a good majority of their players starting in the preseason, it’s no surprise to see Pennel open on the practice squad until he’s fully up to speed.
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