Panthers' Miles Sanders: Viewed as three-down back
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Speaking Monday, Panthers coach Frank Reich said he views Sanders as a three-down back, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.
Sanders' four-year, $25.4 million deal with Carolina made him the NFL's 12th-highest-paid running back, and the Panthers apparently have big plans for their new playmaker. In Indianapolis, Reich had Jonathan Taylor, who was featured as an every-down workhorse. And Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown had Cam Akers, whom the Rams rode hard for different stretches in recent years. Sanders only saw 26 targets as an early-down back in Philadelphia last season, but it sounds like that number could grow in Carolina. As a result, he could be an attractive fantasy RB2 likely playing in an offense with a rookie quarterback for much of the 2023 season.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Taking talents to Carolina
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The Panthers and Sanders agreed to terms on a contract Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
After dealing Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers last season, the Panthers went with D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard out of the backfield for the second half of the campaign. Foreman wasn't retained in free agency, so the addition of Sanders indicates that he'll be Carolina's lead runner in 2023. On a team with sparse skill-position talent, Sanders arrives following the first 1,000-yard season of his career, boasting a YPC a shade over 5.0. Additionally, he hauled in 70.9 percent of his 175 targets for 7.6 yards per catch in 57 appearances since the Eagles took him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Diminished role against Chiefs
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Sanders recorded seven carries for 16 yards in Sunday's 38-35 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. He failed to catch his only target.
Sanders left the game early in the first quarter and was spotted jogging back to the locker room. He returned after missing only one series but wasn't effective. In addition to being inefficient on the ground, he dropped his only target, which nearly resulted in a touchdown for the Chiefs. Sanders now will hit free agency, so his ultimate landing spot and potential workload remain unclear for 2023.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Finds end zone twice against Niners
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Sanders carried the ball 11 times for 42 yards and two touchdowns and caught his only target for three yards in Sunday's 31-7 win over the 49ers.
San Francisco's offense fell apart after Brock Purdy (elbow) got hurt, leading to a fairly easy win for Philly and a ground-heavy attack fueled by Sanders TDs in the first and second quarters. Kenneth Gainwell actually ended up leading the Eagles in rushing yards, but he saw most of his touches once the game was out of reach. The scores were Sanders' first since Week 14, and he figures to be a key part of the team's game plan Sunday, Feb. 12 in the Super Bowl.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Efficient in divisional-round win
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Sanders rushed 17 times for 90 yards in the Eagles' 38-7 divisional-round win over the Giants on Saturday night.
Sanders started ripping off solid gains beginning on the Eagles' second possession, and he ultimately got some rest in the fourth quarter with Philadelphia comfortably ahead. Sanders' lack of a pass-catching role and his minimal red-zone opportunities do make him a bit of a fantasy wild card, but even with the success of backfield mates Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott on Saturday night, Sanders should still retain a lead role for a conference championship clash versus the Cowboys or 49ers a week from Sunday.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Ineffective in season finale
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Sanders rushed 11 times for 33 yards in Sunday's 22-16 win over the Giants.
Sanders was able to suit up after being limited in practice by a knee issue, but he failed to make his usual impact. His 3.0 yards per carry represented his second-lowest mark of the season, and the Eagles seemingly didn't want to overwork him, as he only saw the field for 29 offensive snaps. It wasn't a triumphant conclusion to the season, but the fourth-year back nonetheless finished the year with career highs in rushing yards (1,269) and touchdowns (11). With the Eagles' win securing a first-round bye, Sanders could be back to full strength for the team's first playoff game in the divisional round.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Cleared for Sunday
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Sanders (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Giants, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Sanders will lead the backfield, per usual, as Philadelphia looks to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The real question is whether quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is listed as questionable, will return from his shoulder injury this week or in the playoffs. Either way, Sanders has a nice matchup against a Giants defense that won't have star lineman Leonard Williams (neck) available for a game with no playoff implications on New York's side. Sanders might get a chance to run the ball against the Giants' second-string defense at some point this Sunday.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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In two games with Gardner Minshew against Dallas and New Orleans, Sanders totaled between 61 and 71 yards in each with just one target. He had two rushes from inside the 10 (none from inside the 5) while Kenneth Gainwell had three and Minshew had two. Clearly, Sanders' role did not expand beyond what it was with Jalen Hurts just because Hurts was hurt. So why be optimistic? The Giants have allowed 5.2 yards per carry and four touchdowns to running backs in their past six games. If Sanders sees a typical workload against this defense, he should have a shot at close to 100 yards and might even score. It helps that the Giants have only pride to play for while the Eagles need a win to clinch the No. 1 seed.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Another limited showing
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Sanders (knee) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday.
Sanders has been working under practice restrictions for two weeks running as he deals with a knee injury, with Thursday's limited listing marking his second in a row. The issue didn't hold him back too much this past Sunday against the Saints, as he paced Eagles running backs in snaps (22 of 55) and touches (12). While Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell combined for the other 33 snaps, they also earned just four touches between them. In the end, Friday's injury will reveal whether or not Sanders heads into the weekend with an injury designation for Sunday's contest versus the Giants.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Limited by knee issue
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Sanders (knee) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice.
Sanders seems to be a step ahead of last week, when he opened prep as a non-participant before returning to the field in a limited fashion Thursday. He then upgraded to full activity Friday and went on to pace the Eagles backfield this past Sunday against the Saints, playing 22 of 55 offensive snaps while logging 12 carries for 61 yards. Meanwhile, Boston Scott (18 snaps) and Kenneth Gainwell (15 snaps) combined for four touches for 23 yards from scrimmage. Assuming he progresses as the week goes on and is able to suit up for Sunday's game versus the Giants, Sanders again will be Philadelphia's leading runner, especially with the NFC East title and No. 1 seed in the NFC still undecided.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Benefits from late production
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Sanders rushed the ball 12 times for 61 yards in Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Saints.
The Eagles found themselves down 13-0 by late in the second quarter, an indication of their struggles to get anything going offensively early in the game. As a result, Sanders had only two rushes for nine yards at halftime. He rebounded to some degree in the second half and managed a long gain of 14 yards. While Sanders has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the first time in his career, he has failed to surpass 65 rushing yards in four of his last five games.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Clear for Sunday
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Sanders (knee) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game versus the Saints, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Sanders ramped up his activity level as Week 17 prep went on, sitting out Wednesday's walkthrough before returning as a limited participant Thursday and logging a full session to wrap it up. John McMullen of SI.com reported Friday that Sanders donned a brace to stabilize his knee in practice this week, so even though he's entering the weekend without a designation, it's unclear if he'll be able to handle his normal workload. If Sanders ends up yielding some reps to the rest of the Eagles backfield, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and perhaps Trey Sermon stand to benefit.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Limited Thursday
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Sanders (knee) was limited in practice Thursday.
After sitting out Wednesday due to a knee issue, Sanders was seen working as the top running back in drills one day later, with Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon next in line for reps, according to Josh Tolentino of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sanders also appeared to be running fine, per Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia, but he seemingly still has some work to do to get back to all activity. Ultimately, Friday's injury report will unveil if Sanders has a designation ahead of Sunday's contest against the Saints.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Returns to practice Thursday
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Sanders (knee) took part in practice Thursday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.
Sanders was a listed DNP for Wednesday's walk-through session due to a knee injury, but the issue won't keep him off the field back-to-back days. Thursday's practice report will unveil whether he'll go down as a full or limited participant.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Tending to knee issue
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Sanders was a non-participant at Wednesday's walk-through practice due to a knee injury.
Sanders has mostly avoided Eagles practice reports this season, but he'll join quarterback Jalen Hurts (shoulder) as a non-participant to kick off Week 17 prep. Philadelphia has yet to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed, so Sanders' absence Wednesday could be maintenance-related to keep him as healthy as possible ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Saints. He'll have two more opportunities to get back on the field this week ahead of that contest.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Meager output Saturday
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Sanders churned out 65 yards on 21 carries, reeled in his only target for six yards and lost a fumble during Saturday's 40-34 defeat at Dallas.
Sanders' fumble with 2:19 remaining in the fourth quarter was a costly one, as the Eagles were forced to call two of their three timeouts to preserve time for a comeback effort. But he wasn't having much success on the ground prior to the foible and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry for the game. While Sanders has gone for 140-plus rushing yards twice in the last five contests, he's combined for 131 yards on 41 rushes (3.2 YPC) in the other three. Which Sanders shows up Week 17 against the Saints remains to be seen, but it should be noted the Eagles offense was directed by backup QB Gardner Minshew on Saturday with Jalen Hurts (shoulder) sidelined.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Surprisingly quiet in Chicago
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Sanders rushed 11 times for 42 yards while catching his only target for minus-13 yards and losing a fumble in Sunday's 25-20 win over the Bears.
Philadelphia didn't have a single rushing attempt from a running back until Sanders rushed for one yard with less than seven minutes left in the first half. Sanders remained quiet on the ground and also fumbled for the first time this season at the end of a catch in the third quarter. This was Sanders' lowest scrimmage yardage total of the season. He'll look to bounce back in Week 16 against the Cowboys.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: RBs to Start
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The Giants run defense has struggled of late, and Sanders should have the chance for a quality outing. In their past four games against the Texans, Lions, Cowboys and Commanders, the Giants have allowed 534 rushing yards and five touchdowns and 16 catches for 131 yards. Five running backs have scored at least 12 PPR points, and Sanders should add to that total this week. He's scored three touchdowns in his past two games, and he also has five receptions over that span on five targets. This should be a game where the Eagles can establish their dominance on the ground, and Sanders has the chance for a top-10 finish in all formats.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Scores again in blowout win
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Sanders rushed the ball 10 times for 24 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-10 win over the Titans. He added two receptions for 14 yards.
Sanders couldn't replicate his explosive Week 12 performance, as the Eagles centered their offense around the passing attack against the Titans. However, he still capped off the win with a three-yard touchdown plunge early in the fourth quarter. It was his ninth rushing score of the season and his fifth in his last six contests. Sanders' involvement as a pass catcher was also notable, and he has multiple catches in back-to-back games for the first time since Weeks 4 and 5.
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Eagles' Miles Sanders: Goes off for 143 and two TDs
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Sanders rushed 21 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns while pulling in all three targets for 17 yards in Sunday's 40-33 win over the Packers.
Sanders and Jalen Hurts put on a rushing clinic Sunday, combining for exactly 300 rushing yards between the two. The dominant performance came at just the right time for Philly's lead back, as he appeared to hit a midseason wall coming off of two mediocre performances. The 25-year-old also set new career highs in rushing yards (900) and touchdowns (eight) with six games left on the 2022 schedule. Sanders may find it difficult to replicate this monster game against the Titans' stout run defense Sunday, but he remains a must-start fantasy asset running behind an elite offensive line.
