Pete Carroll on Rashaad Penny's Future: 'We Need Him On Our Team'

SEATTLE, WA - Only a month ago, Rashaad Penny's 2021 season looked to be heading down the same path as his previous three seasons with the Seahawks. Injuries had once again prevented him from showcasing his immense talents out of the backfield, limiting him to 43 rushing yards in four games at that point.

But while Seattle has officially been eliminated from playoff contention, a rejuvenated Penny has done his best to help the team win in the past four games, emerging as one of the NFL's most productive backs. Finally able to find his groove, the former first-round pick out of San Diego State has rushed for 346 yards - third-most in the league - while scoring three touchdowns and averaging a robust 6.4 yards per carry during that span.

Starring once again as a rare bright spot in the Seahawks' 25-24 loss to the Bears on Sunday, Penny rushed for 135 yards on just 16 carries and ripped off three runs of 25 or more yards, giving him five such runs on the season. Only Colts star Jonathan Taylor has generated more 25-plus yard runs (8) and he's done so on 200-plus more carries. He also finished with eight broken or forced missed tackles, blending physicality with his elite burst.

While Penny appreciates the acknowledgement for the yardage and touchdowns he's amassed over the past month, after missing nearly 30 games in four NFL seasons due to injury, he's most grateful for being able to stay healthy for several games in a row to prove he could be a reliable contributor out of the backfield for Seattle.

"The yards, touchdowns, I'm going to be honest, have never meant anything to me since college," Penny told reporters after the game. "It's a blessing, I'm thankful. Again, I don't really deserve that much, leaning on the o-line who can do it every week. Just coming out and being able to take as much as I did, I'm thankful for that. It was a big milestone for me because, again, my whole career has been derailed with small little injuries or small things. Finally, for four games straight, I was able to just keep going and keep continuing for the last few weeks."

Getting off to a strong start, Penny turned on the jets running behind tackle Duane Brown and guard Damien Lewis on a guard/tackle counter on Seattle's second drive, shooting through Chicago's defense for a 25-yard gain. Three plays later, Russell Wilson hooked up with DK Metcalf for a 41-yard touchdown to give the Seahawks an early 7-0 advantage. He would find the end zone himself in the second quarter, cutting back and finding a crease for a three-yard score to retake a 14-7 lead.

After halftime, Penny's combination of explosiveness, elusiveness, and power continued to cause problems for the Bears defense. With the Seahawks nursing a three-point lead, he once again followed Brown's lead block downfield and threw a devastating stiff arm on a cornerback before eventually being dragged down on a 32-yard gain. In the fourth quarter, he tacked on another 32-yard run slithering through multiple tackles down to the Chicago 14-yard line.

Rashaad Penny running wild in the snow. #Seahawks @pennyhendrixx

📺: #CHIvsSEA on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/F6fJXtnUMO
— NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2021

Unfortunately, Seattle wasn't able to capitalize on Penny's last long run with kicker Jason Myers missing a 39-yard field goal, opening the door for Chicago to eventually take the lead on a two-point conversion from Nick Foles to Damiere Byrd. Nonetheless, coach Pete Carroll and teammates such as Wilson continue to take notice of his outstanding performance.

"There's no doubt he is a factor," Carroll said of Penny's performance after the game. "He looked big-time running the football today, and he busted a number of different types of runs and hit some different style runs that were great to see him break tackles and get out, and that's a ton of yards for him to get in that game. I don't know if it was seven yards a carry or something like that, whatever it was. It's really great to have him back. He is legit."

"This game was exceptional. Just how he was running the ball, how physical he was, that was really cool to see," Wilson added. "He has put the work in, and I think any time you put the work in, a lot of times it comes to fruition at some point. It may not always be right away or maybe later, whatever it is, but he has been doing it his whole career trying to get back and trying to play at the high level that he knows how to, and I think that it's been cool to see. It's been one of the highlights watching Rashaad Penny run the ball."

With two games left to play, Penny's resurgence now creates an interesting contract decision for the Seahawks as he prepares to hit free agency in March.

On one hand, the market for running backs can be an unpredictable one, particularly for a player who has suffered a torn ACL and multiple soft tissue injuries in his career as Penny has. His lack of durability at a position already known for a short shelf life is a major red flag to consider when deciding whether or not to re-sign him.

While Penny has made notable strides in pass protection, he hasn't shown enough consistency in that regard or as a receiving threat to see snaps as a third down back. He also doesn't play special teams, which caps his value to an extent.

But at the same time, as evidenced over the past four weeks, few backs in the NFL possess Penny's size and athletic traits. When healthy, he's a dynamic playmaking force out of the backfield who can hit a home run any time he touches the football, something no other back on the Seahawks roster can provide. He should have fresh legs with just 232 career carries on his resume and will turn just 26 in February.

Seattle also has significant question marks at running back. Starter Chris Carson underwent neck surgery earlier this month and has ended three of the past five seasons on injured reserve, while Alex Collins will be an unrestricted free agent. Aside from Carson, DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer are the only other backs currently under contract for 2022. Still offering starter potential, at minimum, retaining Penny would help alleviate depth concerns.

When asked if Penny had played his way back into Seattle's plans beyond this year, Carroll indicated the young back was never not in their plans and the coaching staff simply needed to see him stay healthy long enough to play to his potential. Now that he's been able to do that for an extended period of time, Carroll vouched for bringing him back for at least one more season if possible.

"I don't even know where we are in that," Carroll said of Penny's contract and future with the organization. "He looks really good. He looks really good playing ball, and we need him on our team."

As for Penny himself, as he's reiterated numerous times over the past couple of weeks, he's thankful for the Seahawks sticking with him through all of the injuries. While it remains unclear what the future holds for him, he hopes his recent play has earned him a new contract to stay in the Pacific Northwest.

"I knew what I can do. Again, it was just that I was never on the field. It's unfortunate, but I'm thankful for whatever I've been doing these last few weeks and I couldn't have done it without these guys giving me opportunity to show what I can do and just never giving up on me."