Panthers RB Rashaad Penny retiring from NFL after six seasons

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The comeback of injury-plagued running back Rashaad Penny is over.

The 27th pick of the 2018 draft told Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales following Monday's practice he was retiring and on Tuesday the team placed Penny on the reserve/retired list.

Carolina signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Tayvion Robinson to take Penny's roster spot.

"I've known Rashaad at his best,'' said Canales, who coached Penny for five seasons (2018-22) with the Seattle Seahawks. "It was really a cool opportunity to see if we could get him to that kind of look.

"He came up and just felt he wasn't himself. I had to respect that going forward. I don't understand what that's like, to have a feel, to have a vision and wanting your body to do exactly what you're telling it to do and having it not respond in the right way.''

Penny, 28, suffered a torn ACL in 2019, but rebounded to have his best NFL season in 2021 when Canales was the Seahawks' passing game coordinator. His team-best 749 yards rushing got him a one-year deal worth $5.7 million for the 2022 season, but that ended in Week 5 when he suffered a season-ending broken fibula against the New Orleans Saints.

Penny spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles but appeared in only three games with 33 yards on 11 attempts. He signed with Carolina in May hoping to resurrect his career under Canales, heading into his first season as a head coach, and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, a former offensive assistant with the Seahawks.

But Penny never got a lot of reps playing behind Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear, and looked to fall further behind when second-round pick Jonathon Brooks fully recovers from ACL surgery.

"For sure I was glad to be a part of this process with him just because I've known him for so long,'' Canales said. "I wish Rashaad the best.''

Penny finishes his career with 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns in six seasons.