NFL CAREER – A first round selection (19th overall) of the Saints in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Northern Iowa, Penning has appeared in 23 contests with six starts at left tackle while also contributing as an extra lineman and on the special teams unit. A toe injury caused him to miss the majority of his rookie campaign before appearing in all 17 contests in his second season. Penning and the Saints look forward to the talented lineman taking advantage of the opportunity to participate in a full offseason for the first time without medical restrictions.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Activated from Injured Reserve, 11/26/22; Placed on Injured Reserve, 9/1/22; Agreed to terms on a four-year contract, 5/13/22; Selected by Saints in first round (19th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
2023 – Appeared in 17 games, including starting the first five contests at LT and taking the majority of snaps at the position at Houston, Oct. 15…Contributed on special teams throughout the season while also serving as an extra lineman in several contests. 2022 – Appeared in six games as a rookie after recovering from a toe injury suffered in the preseason and contributed on special teams and as a sixth lineman in first five appearances, before starting season finale at LT vs. Carolina, 1/8/23…Made NFL regular season debut on special teams and as a sixth lineman at San Francisco, Nov. 27.
COLLEGE – Penning saw action in 37 games over his career at Northern Iowa with 33 starts…He started all 12 games at left tackle in the fall of 2021 and was the only offensive lineman in the country to be named as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is annually awarded to the FCS national offensive player of the year. Penning was also named to nine All-America teams, including the Associated Press All-America team, and was named Phil Steele's offensive lineman of the year…Appeared in and started six games in a COVID-19 shortened 2021 spring season postponed from the fall…Made five starts at left tackle and one at right tackle…Named honorable mention All-Missouri Valley and to Bruce Feldman's College Football Freaks list…In 2019, played and started in all 15 games, seeing action primarily at left tackle with right guard mixed in, as the Panthers advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2015…In 2018, played in four games as redshirt freshman…Redshirted as a freshman in 2017…Graduated with a degree in movement and exercise science and a minor in coaching.
PERSONAL – Attended Newman Catholic (Mason City, Iowa) HS, where he was named a team captain for the Knights…Earned first-team All-District and selected All-Area…Lettered in basketball and track and field…Teammate of younger brother, Jared, on UNI offensive line from 2019-21…To celebrate "504 Day" on May 4, 2023, Penning, two teammates and other team employees joined with Second Harvest Food Bank to give back through their food packing event.
