Chiefs Waive 4-Year Contributor After Reunion News: Report
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
GettyVeteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024.
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.
Aaron Rodgers Fires Clear Message to Steelers Teammates Amid 2-Game Skid
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously told everyone in “Packer-land” to R-E-L-A-X after the Green Bay Packers started the 2014 season with a 1-2 record. The Packers went on to play in the NFC championship game that season.
Rodgers wasn’t quite as emphatic, but on Wednesday, he fired a new version of the same message for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I don’t know if we need to do that,” Rodgers told reporters when asked if there was a way to rally the troops. “I think you gotta stay the course.
“We lost a tough one in Cincinnati on a short week, and we played a good football team and had many chances to get things going.”
The Steelers didn’t just have opportunities to seize control against the Packers in Week 8. It appeared the Steelers had control of the contest when they led by nine points at halftime.
But things spiraled out of the team’s hands after halftime. The Packers scored 25 of the first 28 points in the second half to cruise to a 35-25 victory.
Rodgers finished the contest 24 of 36 with 219 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin Stressing to ‘Stay the Course’
Rodgers hasn’t been one to panic in the past, so it’s not shocking he appears far more confident that things are going to be fine than Steelers Nation does at the moment.
And really, what Rodgers said echos the overall message Tomlin delivered Tuesday in front of the media.
“We make no excuses about how or why we fall short. Our job is to perform and perform at a high level, and we haven’t done that,” Tomlin said. “I’m excited about getting back to it. Seven games or whatever doesn’t make a season.
“We certainly got more in front of us and more opportunities to write our story, whether it’s individuals, a component of our team, whether it’s our team in general. I think that’s our general mindset.”
The Steelers have a tough opportunity directly in front of them. The 7-1 Indianapolis Colts will come to Acrisure Stadium for Week 9.
Tomlin and the Steelers will be trying to avoid falling to the .500 mark. They will enter Sunday with a 4-3 record after dropping the past two contests.
If the Steelers lose to the Colts, Pittsburgh will have suffered a three-game losing streak for the eight consecutive season.
History Changing in Steelers-Colts Rivalry?
The Steelers have largely dominated the series against the Colts since the teams first met in 1950. Tomlin owns an 8-3 career record against Indianapolis.
However, the Colts have won the past two matchups against the Steelers since hiring Shane Steichen as head coach.
In addition to being 2-0 as a head coach, Steichen went 1-1 as an offensive coordinator against the Steelers.
“He’s got a well-balanced and diverse attack,” Tomlin said of Steichen’s offense. “He’s got a specialized division of labor. You see it being played out in some of the guys that we mentioned, [Alec] Pierce being the down the field threat, [Michael] Pittman being a chain mover, etc.
“But that’s usually the case when you’re talking about good offenses. There is well-defined division of labor, versatility, multiple personnel groups, all of that kind of reflects Shane and his group.”
In 2023, the Colts defeated Mitch Trubisky’s Steelers 30-13. Last season, Joe Flacco came off the bench to embarrass the Steelers defense with a 27-24 Indianapolis win.
Both of those games, though, were in Indianapolis. The Colts are 1-16 in Pittsburgh since the beginning of the Chuck Noll era in 1969.
Ironically, the Colts’ only victory in Pittsburgh over the past 55 years came during the 2008 season, which is the last time the Steelers won the Super Bowl.
