Veteran Penny joins crowded Panthers backfield

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers‘ backfield is getting crowded.

The team agreed to a contract with former first-round pick Rashaad Penny, reuniting him with head coach Dave Canales from their days with the Seattle Seahawks.

Terms were not disclosed.

Penny joins 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and Raheem Blackshear in Carolina’s backfield.

Brooks is coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered last season at Texas. He said after the draft that he expects to be cleared medically in time for training camp, but having extra backs might be necessary while he is being eased into the system.

Penny is very familiar with Canales’ system, which features the run and versatility. He had his best season with the Seahawks in 2021 when Canales was the passing game coordinator and new Carolina offensive coordinator Brad Idzik was an offensive assistant. He rushed 119 times for 749 yards and six touchdowns.

Adding Penny also could give the Panthers flexibility in trading Sanders, who lost the starting job to Hubbard last season, even though general manager Dan Morgan said he sees a “big role” for the 2019 second-round pick out of Penn State.

Penny, 28, played last season for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he appeared in just three games and rushed 11 times for 33 yards.

Selected by the Seahawks in the first round (27th overall) of the 2018 draft, he has rushed for 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns in six seasons.