The Eagles, expected to lose Miles Sanders in free agency, reportedly have agreed to terms with Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, according to a report from the NFL Network.
This one-year agreement likely ends any hope Sanders had of returning to the Eagles. With three top running backs getting the franchise tag this offseason, Sanders could be the top available running back when free agency begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Sanders’ new-found status likely priced him out of the Eagles’ price range. Sanders appeared to tweet good-bye Tuesday afternoon: “To the city of Philadelphia Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Penny, 27, spent his entire career in Seattle after being drafted 27th overall in 2018 out of San Diego State.
Penny only played five games (all starts) in 2022, gaining 346 yards on 57 carries (6.07 per rush) before being injured and lost for the season. He reportedly earned $5.5 million on a one-year deal in 2022.
His final five games in 2021 were outstanding. He gained 671 yards on 92 carries (7.29 yards per rush) and scored six touchdowns. He averaged 111.8 yards per game.
Penny is 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, and is known as a combination speed and power back.
OVERCOMING INJURY
Penny suffered a broken fibula, a damaged tibia and severe ankle sprain when he was tackled in Week Five against the Saints.
- “It’s gonna be a haul for him,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told the Seattle media after Penny’s injury in October.
- “He broke his fibula and cracked that, but it’s the high-ankle sprain element of it that makes it difficult.
- “There’s this particular surgery that they do to connect, tighten down those bones. It’s going to take a number of months so he’s gonna miss the season.”
But Penny made a speedy recovery and expressed interest in returning late in the season.
“You’ve got to love his optimism,” Carroll told the Seattle media on Dec. 5. “He hasn’t run yet. Who knows what’s going to happen, but he’s still a ways from getting back.”
In his career, Penny has started 11 games and played in 42 games. He has missed 27 games due to injuries. He has rushed for 1,918 yards on 337 carries with 13 touchdowns. He has 27 receptions for 222 yards and one touchdown.
Penny will work in conjunction with Kenny Gainwell in the Eagles’ backfield, perhaps allowing Philadelphia to bypass selecting a running back in next month’s draft.
Penny is the third player the Eagles have signed this week, along with veterans Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce.
