Rashaad Penny Ready to Return, Set to Practice for Seahawks Next Week

Nearly a year after tearing his ACL in a loss to the Rams, Penny looks poised to return to the practice field for the first time this season and could be activated to the 53-man roster in the near future as Seattle gears up for a playoff push.

Following weeks of speculation, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll expects running back Rashaad Penny to return to the practice field next week as he wraps up rehabilitation from reconstructive knee surgery.

Penny, a third-year back out of San Diego State, originally tore his ACL in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last December and underwent surgery weeks later. On the PUP list since August, he missed all of training camp and despite making excellent progress in recent weeks, the team opted to maintain a cautious approach with his return.

"I've talked to Rashaad - he's coming out next week," Carroll told reporters on Saturday. "So I'm really hoping that through the weekend everything works out and he's ready to start practicing with us next week. We'll be thrilled about that."

With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde both returning healthy, adding Penny back into the fold could give Seattle as dynamic of a triplet of running backs as any team in the NFL. Before suffering his injury, he was playing the best ball of his career, producing a personal best 129 rushing yards in a win in Philadelphia and another 100-plus all-purpose yards performance during a victory over Minnesota one week later.

Possessing 4.46 40-yard dash speed, Penny brings a different dimension to Seattle's backfield that complements the hard-nosed, physical style of Carson and Hyde. Given his ability to shift into a third gear in open field, he has home run-hitting capabilities unlike any other back on the roster, as exhibited by a 58-yard touchdown run against the Eagles last November.

Though he only caught eight passes last season, Penny also has good hands as a receiver and came on strong in that department prior to injuring his knee. He scored his first receiving touchdown against the Vikings, rocketing through the defense after catching a screen.

While Carroll sounded optimistic about Penny's situation, there's still not a clear timetable for rookie defensive end Darrell Taylor to get back on the field. After previously telling reporters he had a chance to practice this week, the second-round pick still hasn't received medical clearance to return as he works his way back from offseason leg surgery.

"Darrell's deal is going to go all the way into early next week," Carroll said in regard to Taylor. "Monday or Tuesday is when he meets with the docs for the final time and we'll see what that tells. We were hoping it would happen this week and it didn't."

Formerly starring at Tennessee, Seattle traded up to draft Taylor with hopes he would make an immediate impact rushing the passer. However, he has had numerous setbacks over the past few months stemming from a January operation in which a titanium rod was inserted into his leg to help heal a stress fracture. He's been on the Non-Football Injury list since the start of training camp.

Once Penny and Taylor are designated to return, the Seahawks will have 21 days to make a decision to activate them to the 53-man roster. If either player isn't activated, they will revert to season-ending injured reserve.