Reports indicate that Rashaad Penny, the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and a running back whose career has been marred by injuries but has shown flashes of greatness, has agreed to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles.
After his initial four-year rookie contract ran out, Penny re-signed with Seattle last March to a one-year deal that paid him $5.6 million.
Penny had a promising start to the season, rushing for 346 yards in the first five games of the year on 6.1 yards per carry. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again in New Orleans, ending his season. At his season-ending news conference, Coach Pete Carroll said the team was anticipating Penny’s full recovery by the 2023 campaign.
The Seahawks must now work to ensure that Walker is supported by a strong bench. There is still a contract in place for DeeJay Dallas, but Travis Homer is a free agent as well. Godwin Igwebuike, who became Seattle’s main kickoff returner down the stretch, is a free agent to whom the Seahawks have exclusive re-signing rights.
Penny missed a significant chunk of the 2020 season due to an ACL injury he sustained late in the 2019 season. That injury, along with a few others, kept him from playing in more than 42 games for the Seahawks in his five years there.
The eight rushes of 25 yards or more he had in 2021 despite playing in only 10 games that year were tied for the NFL lead.
He leaves Seattle having gained 1,918 yards on 337 carries in 42 games, an average of 5.7 per attempt that ranks first in team history ahead of the 5.6 of Russell Wilson.
In 2021, he averaged 6.3 yards per carry, second only to Wilson’s 7.2 in team history and first in the NFL.
And he’s joining a team with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, one that helped the Eagles get to the Super Bowl in 2022 and currently ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing. Miles Sanders, who led the Eagles in rushing in 2022 and is now a free agent, is not expected to re-sign with the team.