The Carolina Panthers placed Rashaad Penny on the retired list on Tuesday. Penny, only 28 years old, decided to call it quits instead of wearing a Panthers uniform.
It was hoped that the former first round pick would bring his explosive running style to Charlotte after spending time with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles. The former San Diego State Aztec is retiring from the NFL with 1,931 career rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on a total of 348 carries. Penny doesn’t qualify for all-time lists, but his 5.6 yards per carry would be the best mark in league history.
Injuries have always been an issue for the talented back who has stated in recent days that he felt great and was looking forward to the upcoming season. Multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracture limited the explosiveness for Penny, and even through rigorous rehab he was never able to regain the speed that made him so dangerous in college. Penny’s 2248 yards at San Diego State in 2017 are the fifth most in a single season in NCAA history.
Penny must not have liked what he saw in his first week as a Panther. Back to the drawing board for Carolina to find some way to move the ball on offense.
QB’s Cashing In
Quarterback contracts are dissected annually as players sign new deals and resolve financial disputes with their teams.
This summer saw a bunch of quarterbacks sign market-rate extensions. I would say this summer differed from previous years in that a few of these QB’s who signed deals have incomplete résumés.
I understand that It’s difficult to find a quarterback, and teams are not brave enough to just let their guy hit the market
As a result, the latest quarterbacks that got paid and are currently the highest paid signal callers in the NFL, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence have not yet shown they are worthy of being the highest paid.
Love, the highest paid with his monster $220 million contract from the Green Bay Packers, has only been a starter for one season.
Tagovailoa has the stats for the Miami Dolphins but is often injured and rarely wins games against quality competition.
Lawrence is somewhere in the middle. He has the skills but has been inconsistent, just like his Jacksonville team.
Time will tell if these investments will pay off, but it’s clear that they had to happen regardless of outcome. Quarterback contracts get more and more expensive, even for the players who have unknown or incomplete grades.
I just find it hard to believe this trio makes more money than the best of them all, Patrick Mahomes.
