The Carolina Panthers' running back battle lost a participant on Tuesday after the team officially placed Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. The 28-year-old veteran hangs up his cleats after six seasons in the NFL.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after practice that Penny just wasn't feeling like himself. As of Tuesday morning, Penny had not released any statements on social media about his retirement.
"It was a really cool opportunity for me to see -- I know Rashaad at his best -- to see if we could get him to that kind of look," Canales said, via Pro Football Talk. "And he came up and he just really, he felt like he wasn't himself and 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 tell it to do and just not responding the right way. For sure, I was glad to be a part of this process with him because I've known him for so long. And I wish Rashaad the best."
Penny was originally selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Injuries limited him for most of his career, but Penny did rush for a career-high 749 yards and six touchdowns on 119 carries in 10 games played in 2021.
"I've always believed in myself, knowing my capabilities," Penny said last week, via The Charlotte Observer. "I think everybody else knows that when I'm healthy, I'm probably, like, a top running back in the league. I know my place. I know what I can do. So I just keep striving from there."
Penny spent last year with the Philadelphia Eagles, but rushed just 11 times for 33 yards. In 45 career regular-season games played over six years, Penny rushed for 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and added 227 yards and another touchdown through the air.
Carolina's running back battle will continue with Chuba Hubbard, rookie Jonathon Brooks, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear.
