NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Seattle running back Rashaad Penny left the Superdome box sitting on cart along with his left shoe off and a grim expression on his face, mindful that his season may well be in jeopardy.
One week after his preferrred efficiency his season, Penny was once pressured from Sunday’s sport in opposition to the New Orleans Saints with a lower left leg injury that Seahawks trainer Pete Carroll mentioned would make it “very tough to get him back.”
“I don’t want to make a statement until we get all the MRIs and stuff, but he’s got a bad injury,” Carroll mentioned following his crew’s 39-32 loss to the Saints. “We give you more information when we know all the facts.”
Penny, who’d damaged off a 32-yard run within the first quarter and completed with 54 yards, was once injured whilst being knocked out of bounds by means of defensive finish Marcus Davenport and linebacker Kaden Ellis on the finish of a 6-yard run early within the 3rd quarter.
“It’s a setback that breaks my heart,” Carroll mentioned. “He has emerged and showed us the great player he is. He has put so much into it and cares so much about it. It’s tough to have it taken away when this happens.”
Penny, a first-round draft pick out of the Seahawks in 2018, loved the most efficient stretch of his occupation on the finish of closing season. He set a occupation top with 170 yards in opposition to Detroit on Jan. 2 and broke that mark with 190 yards the next week in opposition to Arizona, completing the 12 months with a personal-best 749 yards and a 6.3 reasonable in step with raise that was once the most efficient for any running back with greater than 350 yards.
His 151 yards on 17 carries in a victory at Detroit closing week gave him 5 100-yard video games in his previous 9 as he in the end had a wholesome stretch in an injury-plagued occupation.
He suffered an ACL tear in opposition to the Raiders in December of 2019 that stored him out of the overall 3 video games that 12 months and the primary 13 video games of 2020.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who threw for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns, known as Penny’s injury “extremely tough.”
“Penny’s my brother, man. I love him to death,” Smith said. “Gosh, I hate that for him. I know how hard he’s worked. I know how much he’s put into this. It sucks, man. We need him out there. He’s a leader for our team.”
Seattle will flip to backup Kenneth Walker, a rookie second-round pick of Michigan State.
Walker gave the Seahawks a 32-31 lead when he raced untouched thru a gaping hollow for a 69-yard landing with 6:54 left within the fourth quarter.
The Saints replied temporarily, on the other hand, with a 60-yard landing on a designed QB run by means of Taysom Hill. The Seahawks didn’t get better, fell to 2-3, and now can have to take a look at to bop back with out Penny.
Walker entered the sport with most effective 58 yards on 15 makes an attempt this season. In addition to his landing in opposition to the Saints, he had seven different carries for a complete of nineteen yards.
“I’m ready,” Walker mentioned. “I feel real comfortable in the offense and the scheme. I pretty much felt comfortable after training camp. It’s tough (losing Penny). We didn’t talk much about it, but he told me on the sideline to run hard and read my keys. He’s been like a big brother in the (running back) room to me.”
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