Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Rashaad Penny

Saturday, January 17, 10:30 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) exited with a stinger during the third quarter of Saturday's Divisional Round contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He was briefly listed as questionable to return, but he checked back into the game midway through the third quarter. The superstar running back took multiple hits throughout the first 30-plus minutes of game action, and he was seeing testing his injury on the sideline. At the time of his initial departure, McCaffrey had totaled nine carries, 29 rushing yards, five catches, and 39 receiving yards. Bad injury news has plagued the 49ers left and right. In addition to various defensive injuries throughout the regular season, San Francisco lost George Kittle (Achilles) last week, and Jake Tonges (foot) is currently listed as questionable to return against Seattle. For the time being, McCaffrey will try to play through his injury with the 49ers' season on the line. However, we wouldn't be surprised to see No. 2 running back Brian Robinson Jr. earn more snaps while McCaffrey manages his injury.

Tuesday, July 30, 11:14 AM

The Carolina Panthers have placed running back Rashaad Penny on the reserve/retired list. Penny, who joined the Panthers this offseason, was set to reunite with head coach Dave Canales, the passing game coordinator during Penny's standout 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks, and Brad Idzik, now the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Unfortunately, a series of injuries including multiple strains, a torn ACL, and a fibula fracture have hindered Penny's once-explosive performance. Despite rigorous rehab, he struggled to regain the speed that made him a dynamic force in college. Penny's 5.6 yards per carry would be the highest in NFL history if he had sustained it. He also recorded 2,248 rushing yards at San Diego State in 2017, ranking fifth for a single season in NCAA history. The former first-round pick had stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Panthers in May. Penny retires with 1,931 career rushing yards, 13 touchdowns on 348 carries, and 28 receptions for 227 yards.