The Carolina Panthers made a move on Tuesday morning implying that running back Rashaad Penny has called it quits.
The Panthers have reportedly placed Penny on the reserve/retired list, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
“The #Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list.”
Carolina just inked Penny to a one-year deal worth $1.292 million last May, which reunited him with new Panthers head coach Dave Canales. Penny and Canales were both part of Seattle Seahawks teams before moving to different squads. Penny played his first five seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, while Canales served a few roles with Seattle, including wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach, and passing game coordinator.
In 2023, Penny left Seattle and signed a one-year contract worth $1.35 million with the Philadelphia Eagles before taking his talents to Carolina, where his NFL career has just ended.
Panthers' Rashaad Penny retires
Penny was a backup for most of his career in the league, and his ability to stay healthy had always been an issue for him. Since the 2022 season, he only appeared in eight games. In his lone year with the Eagles, he played in only three games. In what turned out to be his final game in the NFL, Penny recorded just eight rushing yards on two carries in a 28-23 home win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9 of the 2023 campaign.
Penny, who turned 28 years old last February, had his most productive NFL season in 2021 when he played 10 games, including six starts, for the Seahawks. That year, he rushed for a career-high 749 yards and six touchdowns on 119 carries. He posted a fantastic average of 6.3 yards per rushing attempt and also added 48 receiving yards on six receptions.
The former first-round pick (27th overall) by the Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft was expected to compete against Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jonathon Brook for a Panthers roster spot this offseason, but that's obviously not the case anymore. With the Panthers placing Penny on the reserve/retired list, they made a subsequent move to sign wide receiver Tayvion Robinson to fill the void on the roster. Penny played four years of college football with the San Diego State Aztecs from 2014 to 2017 before turning pro.
Carolina's offense in the 2023 NFL season was a mess, as the Panthers ranked just 31st in the league with an average of 13.9 points per game. Their passing game was anemic, registering only 161.2 yards per contest — the fewest in the NFL. The Panthers' ground attack was a little better but was nothing to write home about either, racking up only 104.1 rushing yards per outing, good for only 20th in the league.
Penny would have helped the Panthers improve their rushing numbers in 2024, which he surely believed based on his statement a few days before he decided to hang up his cleats.
“I’ve always believed in myself, knowing my capabilities,” Penny said to Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer. “I think everybody else knows that when I’m healthy, I’m probably, like, a top running back in the league. I know my place. I know what I can do. So I just keep striving from there.”
Penny retires with a total of 1,951 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns on 348 carries across 45 games played with the Seahawks and the Eagles. He also had 227 receiving yards and a touchdown on 28 catches.
Follow Us
Subscribe
