The Seattle Seahawks are going to look much different on offense heading into the 2022 season, thanks in large part to Russell Wilson getting traded to the Denver Broncos this offseason. But many of the playmakers from last season are still on board, and among them is running back Rashaad Penny, who figures to takeover Seattle's lead running back role in 2022.
With Chris Carson officially announcing his retirement in July, that opened the door for Penny to take things over for good in 2022. He emerged late last season, showcasing how good he can be when he stays healthy and gets consistent touches.
Penny could emerge as one of the top running backs in the league in 2022 if everything goes right for him. But there are a lot of question marks on Seattle's roster given their gaping hole at quarterback, and Penny has been injury-prone throughout his career so far. What could Penny accomplish for fantasy owners in 2022? Let's take a closer look at his fantasy outlook and answer some of the questions surrounding him with the season right around the corner.
Rashaad Penny's 2022 fantasy football outlook
Prior to the 2021 season, Rashaad Penny had played rather sparingly throughout his career. He was a change of pace option behind Carson most of the time, but that was assuming that he wasn't injured. Penny played in only 27 games over the first three seasons of his career, and Seattle didn't really know what they had in their young running back as a result.
Penny seemed to be on a similar track in 2021, but then he broke loose late in the season. With Carson out, and Penny finally healthy, Penny ran riot on the league. From Week 13 on (92 CAR, 671 YDS, 6 TD, 7.3 Y/C), there wasn't a more productive running back in the league than Penny. In four of those five games, Penny has at least 19 fantasy points, which would make him an instant RB1 if that production were to be consistent.
Penny's ceiling is clearly one of the top fantasy running backs in the league. Many fantasy owners probably owe Penny a thanks for winning them a championship given he was still a free agent in most leagues prior to his Week 13 outburst against the Houston Texans. And now that he has the lead running back role to himself, that should bode well for him and fantasy owners who can end up with him on their roster.
The problem with Rashaad Penny has always been staying on the field, which makes him a risky pick immediately. Penny was great during that stretch to end the 2021 season, but that was the most consistent stretch of playing time he had gotten throughout his young career. Will he be able to do what he did during that five game stretch last season over the course of a full 17 game season?
Penny also doesn't offer much as a receiver out of the backfield, which is why they drafted Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He could lose snaps to Walker if he succeeds right away, which would be quite damaging for Penny's stock.
There's also the state of Seattle's offense. Geno Smith appears to be leading the way for Seattle in their quarterback competition right now, but he's a significant downgrade from Wilson. If Smith, or whoever ends up under center, struggles to establish Seattle's passing game, that will make Penny's job much more difficult.
2022 could be the season where Penny puts it all together to emerge as one of the best running backs in the league. But with the all the question marks floating around him right now, it's tough to fully commit to him as anything more than a FLEX option heading into the season. Penny could emerge as a solid RB2 along the way, or maybe even an RB1 if everything goes right like it did over the final few weeks of the 2021 season, but until then, it's best to be cautious when it comes to Penny.
For that reason, Penny has slid down many folks draft boards, with some suggesting Penny isn't even a top 30 back heading into the season. Personally, it seems to me that if Penny plays, he's easily a top 30 running back. He still has a lot to prove, but he's going to be given the keys to the Seahawks lead running back role, and if he can stay healthy, he figures to be a dominant back.
But heading into the draft, it's best to remain cautious with Penny. He should probably be a bench option to start, making him an option to get selected in rounds 10-12. Penny's upside makes him a tantilizing pick from drafts, but it remains to be seen whether he can be counted on for consistent production. The 2022 season should tell us a lot about Rashaad Penny's future, but for now, don't jump the gun and take him earlier than you should.
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