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The Kansas City Chiefs have high hopes of defending their crown in the 2020 NFL season. Unfortunately, they have suffered a setback with defensive tackle Mike Pennel.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had already indicated that Kansas City was expecting to be without Pennel to start the season. This has now been confirmed after being suspended for the first two games, via NFL Network's Tom Pelissero:
#Chiefs DT Mike Pennel has been suspended the first two games of the 2020 season, per the transaction wire.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 25, 2020
Pennel proved to be quite the pickup for the Chiefs during the 2019 campaign by providing some much-needed depth up front. He finished the year with 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack in eight games before starting in two postseason games.
Pennel will now be unavailable for Kansas City's challenging start to the season against the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers. Fortunately, he will be available in time for the star-studded showdown pitting the Chiefs against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.
The Chiefs have a daunting task ahead of them trying to overcome the loss of two key players on defense. Although Pennel has since issued an apology to fans, the reasoning behind his suspension has yet to come to light. Meanwhile, cornerback Bashaud Breeland has also been suspended for four games after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
Pennel's absence will give defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to etch out a bigger role for himself in the rotation. Expectations remain as high as ever for Kansas City so the onus will fall on Saunders to show that he is ready to make a jump in Year 2 before the veteran makes his return for the Chiefs.
