Mike Pennel urged the Kansas City Chiefs, and fans of the NFL in general, not to take Patrick Mahomes' greatness for granted.
Mahomes has led the Chiefs to four Super Bowl appearances since becoming the starting quarterback in 2018 and is one of just five in his position to win three or more Super Bowls as a starter.
The Chiefs have won the Lombardi Trophy in each of the past two seasons, with Kansas City targetting an unprecedented three-peat in 2024.
And Kansas City defensive tackle Pennel says Mahomes' importance to the Chiefs and the NFL as a while.
Pennel told Stats Perform: "He's very vital to our franchise. I think his play on the field speaks volumes for what type of player he is and how he prepares and how he works hard off the field to have that sustained success in every position.
"He's one of the greatest. He's going to be one of the greatest, and he's preparing himself to be that. He's not sulking in his own success or anything like that. He's still there every day, still does all the little things, even though he has all these accolades, he's still working every single day."
The 33-year-old believes Mahomes possesses many of the qualities that the greats of the sport had before him, and is a true inspiration for the younger players coming through.
He said: "When you have a guy like that on your team that takes no shortcuts, that makes it easy to be a role model for the younger guys, it's just, you're very fortunate. He's a rare guy. He's a lot of the likes of that Tom Brady, Joe Montana type of guy. So, it's a great advantage to have.
"You can't take his greatness for granted. I know as a defense, we're under 13 or less, we want to be a top-rated defense, a top 10 run, top 10 pass, just top 10 overall, so we can complement our team very well."
When asked about what sets Mahomes apart from the rest, Pennel stated his competitive edge and ability to perform on the biggest of stages, which has been integral to the Chiefs winning three of the last five Super Bowls.
He said: "It's his arm talent and he's very decisive. He's very confident in who he is and he goes about that approach every day, he's very, very competitive. I know he hates seeing the punt team out there.
"He feels like he can score on every drive and he wants to do that. So it's just, you know, that competitive edge in him, man, it's just something that's real different. That's gonna take him where he wants to be in this league. And that's why he's in those conversations now being one of the greatest."
When asked about opposing teams attempting to get under Mahomes' skin, Pennel added: "It's just motivation for him, I can't speak too much on why they would do that or why someone would do that or poke the bear, but it's going to make for a great game.
"I think it makes the game fun again, too.I miss the trash talking and going back and forth to how it used to be. It makes it a little fun, makes it a little different, makes the rivalry a little bit more intense. But he'll be excited to prove what he needs to prove on those games."
NFL teams unwilling to hand Belichick total control, suggests Pennel
Bill Belichick's failure to land another coaching role in the NFL after leaving the New England Patriots was unsurprising due to the level of control he demands, says his former tackle Mike Pennel.
Belichick is regarded as one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history, leading the Patriots to nine Super Bowls and winning six during 23 seasons in charge between 2000 and 2023.
His six Super Bowl titles as a head coach match the best returns of any franchise in NFL history, with the Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers both possessing six.
He is also within reach of Don Shula's record for the most victories as an NFL head coach, with his total of 333 (including postseason games) putting him 14 behind the Miami Dolphins legend (347).
If only regular-season games are counted, Belichick has 302 victories to Shula's 328.
However, Belichick parted company with the Patriots after they went 4-13 during a dismal 2023 season, and he was unable to land a new role despite being linked with several teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.
Pennel, who spent six months with Belichick's Patriots in 2019, believes the level of control he demands over a franchise's direction proved off-putting.
"Bill Belichick's one of the greatest coaches of all time, if not that. So it's going to look a lot different. He was coaching in the NFL before I was even alive," he told Stats Perform.
"I'm clearly just speculating because I'm not part of the New England Patriots franchise, but I just think the situation was, it was that time where they wanted to change.
"They wanted a fresh face and Bill wants things to run a certain way and I don't think franchises are willing to relinquish that much control to a new coach.
"I just think he wants to take his time. I know he's a family man and just wants to enjoy the time with his family. He's already done everything."
Jerod Mayo has taken the reins in Foxborough following Belichick's departure, with quarterback Drake Maye being drafted third overall to lead the team into a new era.
Pennel, however, believes teething problems will be part of the process this year, saying: "It's hard. It takes some time. You know, there's a couple years of transition depending on how much time you have with the players and everything like that.
"You're learning a whole new system. You're learning with all new players, you're learning with all new staff, so it's very hard.
"I don't think it's ever happened like that, in the first year to go to a Super Bowl. It's hard to get to that successful level."
Dolphins coach McDaniel gets three-year extension
The Miami Dolphins have extended the contract of head coach Mike McDaniel through the 2028 season, ESPN reported Friday.
It's a three-year extension for McDaniel, who has two seasons remaining on the four-year contract he signed after being named Miami's head coach in February 2022.
McDaniel has gone 20-14 in two seasons with the Dolphins while leading the team to the playoffs both years, the franchise's first back-to-back postseason appearances since 2000-01. That resurgence has been led by an offence that's been among the NFL's best under the 41-year-old, who came to Miami after serving as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator for Kyle Shanahan in 2021.
Miami was especially potent on that side the ball last season, as it led the NFL in total yards and finished second overall in scoring at 29.2 points per game while compiling an 11-6 record to tie for first place in the AFC East.
McDaniel's arrival has also coincided with Tua Tagovailoa's emergence into a top-tier quarterback after the 2020 No. 5 overall pick struggled his first two seasons under the previous coaching regime.
Tagovailoa led the league with 4,624 passing yards in 2023 and set a Dolphins single-season record for completion percentage (69.3) while throwing for 29 touchdowns.
McDaniel now joins his quarterback as members of the organisation the Dolphins have locked up for the forseeable future. Tagavoiloa agreed to a four-year, $212 million extension through 2028 last month.
Taylor Swift fame will not hurt Kelce's desire for more Super Bowl glory – Pennel
Travis Kelce's love of football means his off-field fame will not impact his desire to help the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl three-peat, says team-mate Mike Pennel.
Kelce has become recognised as one of the NFL's best tight ends through 11 seasons with the Chiefs, being named in the first All-Pro team on four occasions and becoming a nine-time Pro Bowler.
His partnership with quarterback Patrick Mahomes has helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls, including back-to-back crowns to cap the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
However, it is Kelce's relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift that has taken his off-field image to a new level, making him one of the world's most recognisable sportspeople.
Alongside his brother, former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, he also hosts the popular 'New Heights' podcast and has made several television appearances.
Chiefs tackle Pennel says there is no jealousy towards Kelce in the Chiefs' locker room, however.
He told Stats Perform: "We all love it, man. It's a brotherhood, so we're always excited when we see anyone on TV or succeeding off the field.
"Trav definitely was that guy that had that trajectory, you know what I mean? So, to say that we're surprised by it... we're not really. I know that everybody's really happy for him and all the opportunities that he's getting."
The Chiefs are looking to make history in the 2024 season, with a chance to become the first team in the NFL to win three straight Super Bowls.
Of the eight previous teams to win back-to-back championships, none have even reached the Super Bowl in the following season. Pennel, however, believes Kelce's drive could help the Chiefs go where no team has gone before.
"I think it's testament to [general manager Brett] Veach. He puts people in the locker room that love the game of football," he said.
"The money's great and everything like that, but I know genuinely that everyone in our locker room loves football.
"I think that's what it's testament to, he's got all the accolades, he's done everything with all the money and everything, but he generally loves the game of football and loves being competitive and wants to help the Chiefs organisation excel.
"To take that next advantage with getting a three-peat and more Super Bowls, as many as they can during this window."
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