Seattle has a new coaching team at the helm, but General Manager John Schneider is still in his role. The experienced GM, who currently holds ultimate decision-making power, will have his new team evaluate one of his previous first-round selections.
According to Howard Balzer of Cardinals Wire, Rashaad Penny returned to Seattle for a visit on Wednesday. Penny, who was with the Seahawks for the initial five years of his career, played last season with the Eagles. The 2018 first-round pick is now considered a backup option.
While he was largely overlooked in Philadelphia, Penny had moments of success in Seattle, particularly during a late-season surge in 2021. However, injuries have consistently hampered the San Diego State product throughout his career.
Now 28 years old, Penny’s opportunities may be dwindling. Still, the Seahawks are very familiar with him, though the new coaching staff under Mike Macdonald is less acquainted.
Penny and Chris Carson were teammates in Seattle for four years until Carson’s career was cut short by an early-season injury in 2021, clearing the way for Penny to receive more playtime.
He made the most of this opportunity, rushing over 130 yards in four of the last five games of the season and averaging a league-best 6.3 yards per carry in just 10 games that year. Despite his strong performance, injuries still limited his best season, and he hasn’t seen much success in the following two years.
Penny re-signed with the Seahawks on a one-year, $5 million contract in 2022 but only played five games due to a fractured fibula.
Over five years with the Seahawks, Penny missed 40 regular-season games. In 2023, he signed a one-year, $1.35 million deal with the Eagles, who then acquired D’Andre Swift and had Kenneth Gainwell backing him up, along with veteran Boston Scott in the mix, leaving little room for Penny who participated in just three games and had only 11 carries.
Although the current Seahawks coaching staff did not overlap with Penny during Pete Carroll’s era, new Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb has some familiarity with Penny from his days as an assistant at Fresno State while Penny was a prominent player in the Mountain West Conference.
Since then, Penny’s value has declined, and the Seahawks have invested second-round picks in running backs Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet in recent drafts. Following the departure of four-year veteran DeeJay Dallas to the Cardinals this offseason, Seattle is likely considering adding depth to their backfield soon.
