NFL Rumors: Rashaad Penny to Sign Panthers Contract in Free Agency after Eagles Stint

Free-agent running back Rashaad Penny is planning to sign with the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Penny saw action in just three games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, finishing with 38 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches.

There was a lot of hope for the 2018 first-round pick after he signed with Philly. He had averaged 5.6 yards per carry in his five years with the Seattle Seahawks. When healthy — a big qualifier — he had performed at an elite level.

Last season provided a clear reality check.

Durability was a concern with Penny from the moment he entered the NFL after he carried the ball 425 times in his final two years at San Diego State. His Seahawks run followed the same general trajectory in that he'd enjoy a productive stretch of games only to get sidelined with an injury.

The broken fibula and tibia injury he suffered in 2022 may have been the point of no return.

Penny can potentially occupy a limited role in a backfield that includes Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard and second-round draft pick Jonathon Brooks.

But fans won't look at this move as a high-upside play like they would've before Penny's precipitous decline in production.