After whirlwind stops with Seahawks, Eagles, can Rashaad Penny fit in with Panthers?

Rashaad Penny needs to stay on the field.

That seems simple enough, right?

But for Penny, a 2018 first-round pick, staying healthy has essentially been his Mount Everest in the NFL. That challenge has cost him more than two-dozen games, big pay days, and a long-term home in the NFL.

And as he enters Year 7 of his pro career, Penny is looking to prove that he is healthy and formidable. He has chosen to accomplish that mission in Carolina with a few familiar faces — Panthers head coach Dave Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.

Penny, 28, spent his first five seasons in the NFL working with Canales in Seattle. Idzik joined the Seahawks in 2019.

Those two coaches drew the 5-foot-11, 220-pound playmaker to the Panthers.

“Just having a personal connection with them, and them reaching out, knowing that I know the offense, and knowing I know what it takes in their standards, yeah, that’s part of the reason,” Penny told The Charlotte Observer.

Penny is coming off a forgettable one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran running back appeared in just three games, posting 38 total yards on 12 touches. He was a healthy scratch for 14 games despite being one of the Eagles’ early free-agent additions last offseason.

While the Eagles’ running back room was crowded with talent, including Pro Bowl running back D’Andre Swift, Penny’s benching was peculiar, especially to him.

“A great organization,” Penny said. “Much respect. I enjoyed being there, I loved being there. To be honest, I really wish — I think the media knows more answers than I know. I know that for sure. I don’t know. I enjoyed my time. I had great teammates. Being uncomfortable has taught me to be the man I am today. And I had some moments in Seattle that were very uncomfortable. So I just learn from those.”

Penny’s backseat in Philadelphia kept him out of harm’s way for an entire campaign. The running back, who has dealt with everything from a broken finger to a torn ACL to a broken fibula in his career, learned to cope by keeping a level head during the darkest of days.

His injury adversity made his benching with the Eagles feel like a speed bump instead of a roadblock.

“I’ve always believed in myself, knowing my capabilities,” Penny said. “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 has flashed that top-tier talent in spurts.

In 2021, he led the NFL with 6.3 yards per carry. In just 10 games that season, Penny rushed for 749 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 48 yards. In 2022, he averaged 6.1 yards per carry, producing 346 rushing yards in just five games. But a broken leg sidelined him for the final 12 matchups of the year, and the Seahawks ultimately decided to move on from the oft-injured tailback.

Nearly two years removed from his last major injury, Penny wants to bounce back with Canales and Idzik, who have routinely emphasized their desire to run the ball. And while the offensive coaching duo wants to win on the ground, the Panthers — like the Eagles last year — have a crowded backfield with several mouths to feed.

Chuba Hubbard is at the top of the depth chart this summer. Fellow veteran Miles Sanders, whom Penny was initially signed to replace in Philadelphia, is coming off his own nightmare 2023 campaign but will be paid regardless of his roster status this season.

And then there’s second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. While the rookie started training camp on the non-football injury list, he’s expected to return and have role within the offense.

Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone, a pair of special teams aces, are also battling for jobs.

So, Penny, despite his staff connections, will need to battle and outperform at least Blackshear and Boone to earn a job on the team’s 53-man roster. To do that, he will need to overcome his injury-prone label.

“I know football — what we do as a running back group — it’s all about who got the hot hand, who can stay healthy, available at the same time,” Penny said. “So it’s just being a part of the same group and feeding off each other. I think that’s the No. 1 thing.”