Chiefs Waive 4-Year Contributor After Reunion News
The Kansas City Chiefs finalized the expected Mike Pennel reunion on October 29, ahead of a Week 9 matchup with the Buffalo Bills, and it wasn’t long before an NFL insider relayed news of the corresponding roster cut.
“Chiefs signed NT Mike Pennel and waived DE Malik Herring,” ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday evening. It’s nothing new for Herring, who has seesawed on and off the Chiefs’ active roster for years.
Herring began his professional career as an undrafted prospect out of Georgia. His first action came during the 2022 season, and the veteran role player has since spent the past four years within the Kansas City organization.
In total, Herring has appeared in 32 games (including playoffs) for KC over the past four seasons. He has only registered 1.5 sacks during that span of time, along with 3 tackles for a loss and 6 QB hits.
Herring has also forced 1 fumble and recovered 1 fumble, separately, and has been credited with 1 pass breakup.
The former UDFA is not really much of a special teamer and has mostly rotated in on defense throughout his career. He has logged 450 defensive snaps compared to just 34 on special teams.
Assuming he clears waivers, it wouldn’t be surprising if Herring re-signs to KC’s practice squad later this week.
Mike Pennel Immediately Returns to KC After Chiefs Fail Miserably at Attempted Youth Movement
Pennel did not leave Kansas City by choice this summer. He was released at the 53-man deadline, and the Chiefs chose to go in a different direction following that decision.
The clear emphasis from general manager Brett Veach and the coaching staff was to get younger at defensive tackle in 2025, drafting Omarr Norman-Lott, while simultaneously bringing in fliers like Jerry Tillery, Brodric Martin, and Zacch Pickens.
The latter two remain on the practice squad, along with popular gameday elevation Marlon Tuipulotu, and Pennel will join Tillery, Chris Jones, and fellow veteran Derrick Nnadi on the 53.
So, the plan to get younger didn’t really stick, considering the Chiefs made moves to reacquire both Nnadi and Pennel after initially letting each walk.
Obviously, it’s always a goal to include forward-thinking in a GM’s roster-building mentality, but with Norman-Lott on the injured reserve, Kansas City had to call an audible. The future of their D-tackle room will return in 2026, but for now, the priority is winning another championship, and the Chiefs can’t afford to roster players who are learning on the job.
For that reason, Pennel is right back where he belongs. And Jones — his biggest vocal supporter — is no doubt pleased by that development.
Chiefs’ Defensive Line Will Face Tough Test in Week 9
Pennel’s return couldn’t come soon enough, as the Chiefs’ run defense will be tested in Week 9. In the past, Buffalo has had a run-and-gun offense with superstar Josh Allen pulling the strings, but the 2025 reiteration of the Bills is very run-heavy.
Former second-round pick James Cook is having a career year in 2025, rushing for 6.0 yards per carry and 107.6 yards per game. Those numbers just ballooned in Week 8, as Cook ran the ball 19 times for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers — a yards per carry of 11.4 YPC.
So, to slow down this Bills’ offense in 2025, you must first slow down Cook. Then, on top of that, you also have to contain Allen, who can easily gash a defense on the ground.
Needless to say, it’ll be good to have an experienced run defender like Pennel in Week 9.
Stephen Jones Sends Bold Message on Cowboys’ Trade Deadline Plans
The Dallas Cowboys are all in on the 2025 NFL season. But they’ll also consider moving players off their roster to address areas of need.
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president and CEO, addressed why the Cowboys would be considered both buyers and sellers ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline on Tuesday.
The Cowboys (3-4-1) are in second place in the NFC East and sit 2.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Eagles. They’re just 1.5 games back of the San Francisco 49ers for the final NFC playoff spot.
Dallas will host the Arizona Cardinals (2-5) on Monday Night Football mere hours before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Stephen Jones: ‘Sometimes Player For Player [Trades] Can Be Very Interesting’
The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the NFL. They rank first in the NFL in passing-yards per game (263.8), second in yards per game (384.1) and points per game (30.8).
Yet, Dallas is middling due to its woeful defense. The Cowboys are 31st in the NFL in yards-against per game (404.6) and points-against per game (31.3) and have allowed at least 30 points in five of their eight games this season.
So Jones knows the Cowboys can use their strength on offense to potentially acquire defensive reinforcements.
“I think there’s a lot of things that go into us improving as a defense,” Jones told KTFM on Thursday. “If you can find a player that upgrades you, as I’ve always said, we’re always looking for that every year. Whether it’s by trade or whether it’s a player acquisition, it comes by a lot of shapes, forms and fashions.”
Cowboys fans may be incensed at the team’s scuffling defense, since the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade sapped the team of one of its most talented players. Still, according to Jones, there are deals to be made to improve.
“We have areas where we have depth, and sometimes player-for-player [trades] can be very interesting to us,” Jones said. “We’re also in consideration for giving up a player for us getting a pick and vice versa. It goes all ways.”
The Dallas Cowboys’ Game Against Arizona Is ‘A Big, Big Game’
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has never lost at AT&T Stadium, and Arizona has won three straight against Dallas dating back to 2020.
“What an amazing high-school career he had,” Jones said of Murray, who won three straight state championships while playing at Allen High School and also having a standout baseball career as well. “He’s just a competitor and a winner, and that’s our goal, to put that streak to an end. But I’m sure he’s going to have his competitive juices flowing coming back home to where all he won all those championships.”
Yet, the Cardinals have been struggling with five straight losses despite their minus-1 point differential. If the Cowboys have any illusions of making the playoffs in the much-improved NFC, Jones knows they’ll need to win at home — where they are 2-0-1 despite averaging 33 points per game.
“It’d be huge for us to get a win,” Jones said. “It’s a big, big game. I know it’s a big game for the Cardinals, but it’s a huge game for us as well.”
