The Kansas City Chiefs could be missing another key defensive piece to start the 2020 season.
Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo revealed during his Monday press conference that the team is expected to be without defensive tackle Mike Pennel at the start of the season due to a pending suspension.
“We’re going to lose Mike Pennel early in the season, I think, with a suspension,” Spagnuolo said.
There is some hope that Pennel could see his suspension eliminated or reduced during the appeals process. It’s not yet clear how many games Pennel is facing in his suspension. According to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, the appeal process for Pennel is ongoing and underway.
Just like Chiefs CB Bashaud Breeland, Pennel is still allowed to practice and attend team meetings during training camp. Once his suspension goes into effect, he’ll only be allowed to attend team meetings, but he won’t be able to practice with the team.
Pennel joined the Chiefs as a midseason free-agent acquisition in 2019 but quickly established himself as a leader and prominent figure on the defense. He was instrumental in the Chiefs resurgence on run defense and made several key plays down the stretch and during the postseason, including a crucial pressure in Super Bowl LIV.
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