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Top John Penisini News
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John Penisini: Waived by New Orleans
Penisini was waived by the Saints on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
The defensive tackle played in 32 games with the Lions between the 2020 and 2021 seasons but has not appeared in an NFL game since. Penisini was waived from Carolina's reserve/PUP list last August.
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John Penisini: Works out with NOLA
The Saints brough in Penisini (undisclosed) for a tryout Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Penisini was waived from Carolina's reserve/PUP list in early August and he has not been claimed since being let go by the Panthers. While the nature of his injury was never disclosed, it appears the 26-year-old is now once again ready to contribute for a team this season. Penisini most recently played in 2021 with the Lions, logging 14 tackles and one pass defended while serving as a rotational defensive tackle across 16 games.
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John Penisini: Let go once again
Penisini (undisclosed) was waived from the reserve/PUP list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Penisini reverted to the reserve/PUP list Wednesday after he was waived from the active/PUP list. The 26-year-old came out of retirement to stage a comeback, but unfortunately, an injury early in camp derailed his attempt. He'll now focus on trying to return to full health.
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Panthers' John Penisini: Reverts to reserve/PUP list
Penisini (undisclosed) has cleared waivers and reverted to the Panthers' reserve/PUP list, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
If Penisini remains on the reserve/PUP list through training camp, he will be forced to miss the first four games of the season before being eligible to return. However, a quick return will be advantageous for his future with the team, as he is currently competing with several players for a role providing depth at nose tackle in the upcoming season.
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John Penisini: Gets cut loose
Penisini (undisclosed) was waived from the active/PUP list Tuesday with a failed physical designation, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Penisini came out of retirement to try and earn a roster spot; however, the 26-year-old suffered an injury that will not allow him to compete. Whether he works to get healthy and tries again or decides to retire once more remains to be seen.
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Panthers' John Penisini: Placed on PUP list
Penisini (undisclosed) will start training camp on the Panthers' active/PUP list, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Penisini signed a one-year, $940,000 contract with the Panthers in April after coming back from retirement. The 2020 sixth-round pick spent his first two years in Detroit, where he recorded 49 tackles and one sack across 32 games.
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Panthers' John Penisini: Ends retirement, joins Carolina
Penisini signed a contract with the Panthers on Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
The 25-year-old Penisini announced his retirement last offseason, but after a year away from football, he's electing to resume his career in Carolina. A 2020 sixth-round pick, Penisini spent his first two NFL seasons in Detroit, recording 49 tackles (23 solo) and a sack in 32 games. Penisini will look to provide depth at nose tackle as Carolina switches to a 3-4 defense.
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John Penisini: Announces retirement
Penisini announced his retirement Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Penisini was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round of the 2020 Draft and appeared in 16 games in each of his first two seasons in the league. As a rookie he played 576 defensive snaps and recorded 35 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery. However, he saw his playing time dwindle last year and recorded only 14 tackles across 16 games.
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Lions' John Penisini: Out with illness
Penisini (illness) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
Penisini appeared on track to play all week but was a late addition to the injury report due to illness. He's logged a rotational role along the Lions' defensive line, recording a total of eight tackles across 11 games on the campaign. Bruce Hector could see an uptick in playing time with Penisini absent.
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Lions' John Penisini: Five snaps in preseason finale
Penisini logged five defensive snaps during Friday's preseason finale against the Colts.
Penisini missed time during the start of training camp due to an undisclosed injury and the nose tackle then appeared out of place when he did get a look in Detroit's new defense. While he's now healthy, Penisini is not a lock for the final roster despite coming off a successful rookie year.
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Lions' John Penisini: Doesn't practice Monday
Penisini was absent from practice Monday for an undisclosed reason, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Penisini was banged up in practice Wednesday and has been limited since then. Although he appeared without pads late last week, he wasn't seen on the field Monday. Whether he's available for Friday's preseason opener against Buffalo remain to be seen.
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Lions' John Penisini: Underwent offseason surgery
Head coach Dan Campbell revealed that Penisini underwent offseason surgery to remove calcium deposits from his shoulder, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News reports.
Penisini reportedly played through this condition during his rookie season, making it even more impressive that the 2020 sixth-round draft pick led all Lions defensive tackles with 576 defensive snaps. While it's not clear when Penisini specifically went under the knife, it must have been a while ago since the Utah product has reportedly "looked good" during the opening days of training camp. Of bigger concern for Penisini is the presence of Alim McNeill, who has opened training camp with the first-team defense after Detroit spent a third-round pick on him this spring. While it's hard to imagine that Penisini won't at least be a key rotational piece in 2021, McNeill could run away with the starting job at nose tackle if Penisini is slow to bounce back from surgery.
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Lions' John Penisini: Posts 35 tackles in rookie season
Penisini recorded 35 tackles and one sack over 16 games in 2020.
For a Lions defense that was among the worst in the league in 2020, Penisini was a pleasant surprise as a sixth-round rookie who seemed to improve as the year went on -- particularly when Detroit needed to replace Danny Shelton down the stretch. With Shelton now set to become an unrestricted free agent, Penisini not only seems like a lock to stick around in 2021, but it's possible he could angle for a key early down role depending on what improvements Detroit makes to its defensive line this offseason.
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Lions' John Penisini: Ready to rock
Penisini (shoulder) is officially active for Sunday's game against the Titans.
Penisini was limited at practice this week before drawing the questionable tag, so it's a good sign to see the rookie cleared to play. The Utah product has suited up in all 13 games this season, compiling 24 tackles (13 solo) and one sack over that span. Now healthy, he's expected to handle his usual starting role on the interior of the defensive line for Sunday's contest.
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Lions' John Penisini: Goes to Detroit in sixth
The Lions selected Penisini in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 197th overall.
Penisini is yet another Utah defender to get drafted, joining Bradlee Anae among Utes to go on Day 3. A defensive tackle, Penisini can generate a pass rush up the middle, having racked up 7.0 sacks in each of the last two seasons. He's 6-foot-1 and 318 pounds and will be sturdy against the run even if his athletic traits prevent him from carrying the pass rush success from college to the next level.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-2, 335 lbs |
| Birthplace: USA |
| Age: 27 |
| School: Utah |
| Experience: 3 |