Former First-Round Running Back Shocks Everybody By Announcing His Retirement At Age 28 /d

Rashaad Penny (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

It is truly the end of an era for Rashaad Penny.

Rashaad Penny, a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, has announced he is hanging up his cleats and riding off into the sunset to retire after six seasons in the league.

The Carolina Panthers placed Penny on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday.

He is just 28-years-old.

The decision to retire came just days after Rashaad Penny told Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer that he could still be one of the best running backs in the NFL.

“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 had just signed a one-year deal with Carolina in May, which reunited him with Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who was on Pete Carroll’s crewwith the Seattle Seahawks during his first five seasons in the league.

Rashaad Penny Leaves The NFL With Unfulfilled High Expectations

Penny entered the league with high expectations as a first-round pick, but things never panned out that way for him.

His tenure with the Seahawks began with him making 24 appearances across the 2018 and ’19 seasons. However, he was not logging a heavy workload but did manage to score six total touchdowns.

In the years since, he has been marred by nagging injuries, which likely helped him make his decision to retire.

The 28-year-old was limited to just three games in 2020, but would have his best year in 2021 when he scored six touchdowns while leading the NFL with a 6.3 yards per carry average.

Rashard Penny has played in just 45 games with just 11 starts in his NFL career.

In 45 games, he ran for 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns, per ESPN.com.