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Former Seattle Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny Retires

Running back Rashaad Penny, who was plagued by injuries during his career, was a first-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Jeremy Brener

September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny (20) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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A former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks is hanging up his cleats.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, former Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny is being placed on the reserve/retired list by the Carolina Panthers and is walking away from the NFL at 28 years old.

Penny was the No. 27 overall pick by the Seahawks out of San Diego State in the 2018 NFL Draft but never lived up to the hype of a first-round pick. He played 42 games with the Seahawks across five seasons, running for 1,918 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Penny's best season with the Seahawks came in 2021 when he ran for 749 yards and six touchdowns. However, he wasn't able to maintain those stats after suffering a broken fibula five games into the 2022 campaign. After Penny's injury, rookie running back Ken Walker III emerged for the Seahawks and ended up taking his spot in the starting lineup. That prompted the Seahawks not to give Penny another contract in 2023.

Penny signed with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason, but he only appeared in three games for them in the 2023 campaign. He then signed with the Panthers back in May, but now he is ending his Carolina tenure before it truly begins.

While Penny found moments of promise in his career, he ultimately struggled to stay healthy and to find the field when he was. While he failed to live up to his draft hype, six years in the NFL is not something to be disappointed about.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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