Panthers HC Dave Canales reacts to Rashaad Penny calling it quits

When it's time, it is time.  On Tuesday morning, Rashaad Penny knew his NFL moment was gone.  The Carolina Panthers placed Penny on the reserve/retired list. Following the first padded practice, Panthers head coach Dave Canales offered an honest and heartfelt message to the running back he first teamed up with during his tenure with […]

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Jul 24, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Image via Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

When it's time, it is time. 

On Tuesday morning, Rashaad Penny knew his NFL moment was gone. 

The Carolina Panthers placed Penny on the reserve/retired list. Following the first padded practice, Panthers head coach Dave Canales offered an honest and heartfelt message to the running back he first teamed up with during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. 

“I don’t understand what that’s like to have a feel, to have a vision and wanting your body to do exactly what you tell it to do and not responding the right way,” Canales said. “I was glad to be a part of this process with him just ’cause I’ve known him for so long. And I wish Rashaad the best.”

Penny, 28, was signed by the Panthers in May. Penny played five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and one season with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 45 games, he ran for 1,951 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Canales was hoping Penny could return to a level of play he had achieved earlier in his career. After a little over a week of training camp, that wasn't the case. 

“It was a really cool opportunity for me to see, I know Rashaad at his best, to see if we could get him to that kind of look,” Canales said. “He came up and he just really, he just felt like he wasn’t himself and I had to respect that going forward.”

The current Panthers running back room: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Jonathon Brooks, Mike Boone, Jaden Shirden, and Raheem Blackshear. 

With Penny hanging up his cleats, it puts a cap on a six-year pro career.