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NFL free agency: Eagles sign former first-round pick Rashaad Penny as potential Miles Sanders replacement

Rashaad Penny will reportedly sign with the Eagles after spending his first five NFL seasons with the Seahawks. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Eagles added yet another potential star to their prolific rushing attack Tuesday. The team reportedly agreed to sign former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Terms of Penny's contract with the Eagles were not immediately available.

Penny, 27, has averaged an eye-popping 6.2 yards per rush over the past two seasons, though that figure comes with a major drawback. Penny has battled various injuries over his career and has played in just 15 games over the last two years.

When healthy, Penny has looked like a superstar. He won many fantasy championships in 2021, when he exploded for 706 yards and 6 touchdowns in the final 6 weeks of the season. Penny looked to build on that performance in 2022, but was limited to just 5 games due to a broken fibula.

Penny's injury issues extend past the last two seasons. He was limited to 10 games in 2019 after tearing his ACL. He returned in 2020, playing in just 3 games.

Eagles are the perfect landing spot for Rashaad Penny

Penny's lengthy injury history could be less of a factor in Philadelphia. The Eagles boast one of the best offensive lines in football, which could allow Penny to avoid major pileups at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles also like to rotate their running backs, meaning Penny could rest more frequently when Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott work into the rotation. The team also has Jalen Hurts, one of the best goal-line quarterbacks in the NFL. Hurts should take some focus off Penny, especially in short-yardage situations.

If — and it's a big if — Penny can stay healthy, he could thrive in an elite Eagles rushing attack.

Miles Sanders could be on his way out of Philadelphia

The move appears to signal the end of the Miles Sanders era in Philadelphia. Sanders, a former second-round pick, turned in a career year in 2022, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Sanders acknowledged as much Tuesday, tweeting a touching thank you message to the city of Philadelphia.

He enters free agency as the top running back on the market after both Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs received franchise tags from their teams. Sanders should draw a fair amount of interest from other franchises, though the availability of Los Angeles Chargers back Austin Ekeler could put a temporary hold on Sanders' market.