The Bengals have promoted DT Mike Pennel from the practice squad to the active roster.
Pennel was added to the practice squad on the 1st of this month, following his release from the Kansas City Chiefs. The veteran has been a reliable run defender, was elevated from the practice squad in week 1, helping the team to a solid defensive performance, as a part of the rotation.
When he was first brought in, it was reported that the expectation was that the Bengals would promote him within the first few weeks of the season. This has now come to fruition.
A spot opened up for Pennel’s promotion after the Bengals placed G Lucas Patrick on IR.
Patrick got the start at RG in week 1, but went down early on with a calf injury. He was replaced by the newly signed Dalton Risner, who had a good day in pass protection.
Patrick will miss a minimum of 4 games.
With the open spot, the Bengals have signed DE Isaiah Foskey to the practice squad.
Foskey was originally a 3rd round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2023. He had some potential coming out of Notre Dame, but was still more of a developmental guy. I had an early 4th round grade on him a couple years back, as can be seen here, along with his scouting report.
In 2 seasons with the Saints, he played sparingly on defence, but did see some action on special teams. He has yet to record his first sack in the NFL. That said, there seems to still be some untapped potential here, as he is Notre Dame’s all time leader in that category, and he has a strong athletic profile.
Foskey played under Bengals DC Al Golden at Notre Dame, and he may be able to find some of that potential. The Bengals continue to try to bolster their defensive line with this move, and they took a decent swing with essentially no risk.
The practice squad moves did not end with Foskey. DE Myles Cole has also been signed to the practice squad, while DE Isaiah Thomas has been released from it.
Cole was originally a 7th round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. He recorded 8 tackles and 1 for a loss in 8 games played last season.
Thomas, meanwhile, had been a preseason standout for the Bengals, but was unable to crack the roster. The practice squad gets shuffled around often, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back at some point down the line, but for now, the Bengals have opted to replace him with a couple of new faces.
Thumbnail Image Via: Tennessee Titans (CC)