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Seattle Seahawks' Rashaad Penny suffers season-ending knee injury against Los Angeles Rams

Injury blow on offense comes amid NFL playoff race

Rashaad Penny
Image: The Seattle Seahawks drafted Rashaad Penny with the 27th overall pick in 2018

The Seattle Seahawks were dealt an untimely blow as running back Rashaad Penny suffered a season-ending knee injury during Sunday's 28-12 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams.

Penny was removed from the game during Seattle's opening drive having been tackled while his left leg was planted in the ground.

He will now miss the remainder of the season with what has been labelled as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) problem.

His premature exit set the tone for a disappointing night for the Seahawks as they squandered an opportunity to seal a playoff berth with a win.

As a result they also dropped into second in the NFC West and below the San Francisco 49ers who improved to 11-2 with a stunning 48-46 win over the New Orleans Saints.

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Watch highlights of the Seahawks' loss to the Rams in Week 14

While the Seahawks remain in excellent shape to make the playoffs, there are fears they may have to see out the job without Penny.

"We don't know how serious it is, but it's significant," said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

Also See:

NFC West standings

Team Win Loss Tie Pct Strk
San Francisco 49ers 11 2 0 .846 W1
Seattle Seahawks 10 3 0 .769 L1
Los Angeles Rams 8 5 0 .615 W2
Arizona Cardinals 3 9 1 .269 L6

The 23-year-old has been a rising star on the Seattle offense in recent weeks, evidencing his value early on at the weekend with a 16-yard reception prior to his injury.

Penny was instrumental in his side's Week 12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with 14 carries for 129 rushing yards and one touchdown. He built on this the following game by registering 74 yards on the ground along with one rushing and one receiving touchdown in the 37-30 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

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Penny played a starring role as the Seahawks fended off pressure from the Vikings in the race to the playoffs in the NFC

Quarterback Russell Wilson added: "I feel for him. He's such a great competitor and has been tremendous the past several weeks.

"But I got to talk to him afterwards and he had his head up. He's looking forward to where he's going next and fighting through the rehab of it all. We'll be right there with him."

Though far from ideal, the Seahawks are equipped to deal with Penny's absence thanks to the form of fellow running back Chris Carson.

The 25-year-old leads his side with 1,057 yards rushing and five touchdowns this season and has also proven useful in open field with 35 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle visit the Carolina Panthers (5-8) next time out before hosting the Cardinals (3-9-1) and then welcoming the 49ers to CenturyLink Field.