Seahawks’ RB Rashaad Penny will miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to a fractured fibula and a high ankle sprain he suffered against the Saints on Sunday.
The injury occurred early in the third quarter when Penny was twisted up and tackled near the sideline by three New Orleans defenders. He was driven into the ground, landing hard on his left side. Penny rolled himself over as he tried to get up, and grabbed for his lower leg before being helped up and to the Seahawks’ bench. A few minutes later, with the assistance of two members of Seattle’s training staff, he was loaded onto the medical cart and taken into the locker room.
The fibula is one of the two bones that make up the lower leg (the other being the tibia). It doesn’t bear much weight, however it provides multiple important muscle attachment sites. For Penny, the most important thing right now is to know where the fracture occurred. If the fracture occurred in the upper half, it is often allowed to heal on its own. If the fracture occurred in the lower half, things are far more complicated and he will likely require surgery. Given that Penny also suffered a sprained ankle, it’s likely the fracture occurred in the lower half.
Recovery from fibula fractures is long and arduous. Initially, there will be no weight put on the leg, and rehab will involve exercises that stimulate blood flow. That process lasts roughly six weeks before protected weight-bearing can occur. After another 10-12 weeks of protected weight-bearing exercises, the fibula will need an additional month to fully rehabilitate.
Penny – who had averaged 6.1 yards per carry through the first five weeks of the season – has been injury-prone since entering the league as a first round pick in 2018. He’s battled a torn ACL and meniscus, multiple other knee issues, a calf strain, a hamstring strain, and a groin strain.
