In the 2023 offseason, the Carolina Panthers defied the NFL’s recent practice of undervaluing running backs, demonstrating their attempt to stand apart while adhering to a similar ideology.
The move backfired on Carolina.
Sanders signed a four-year, roughly $25 million contract with Carolina, but his output rapidly plummeted. The post-June 1 trade or cut list was compiled by NFL analyst Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, and Sanders was included among the probable contenders for the mid-summer cut.
“A year after signing a top free-agent deal with Carolina, Sanders may well be fighting for backup carries alongside Jonathon Brooks and Chuba Hubbard, even with new coach Dave Canales angling for a stronger run game,” writes Benjamin. “Letting go of Sanders would save the the Panthers an instant $200,000.”
Sanders’ 2022 career season with the Philadelphia Eagles won him a contract. He played a major role in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run, and the Panthers thought they were going to get that Sanders in Charlotte. That was not true.
Sanders experienced career lows in production during the 2023 season. He made just five game starts. He gained 432 rushing yards on 129 carries during the process, along with one score. On the depth chart, Hubbard had passed him at the halfway point of the season.
Sanders appears to be peering in from the outside based on all the signals. Dan Morgan, the general manager of the organisation, has long maintained that Carolina still adores the 27-year-old running back.
“We are in love with Miles,” Morgan declared. “We see a big role for him.”
Speech is cheap. If Sanders is still on the roster at the beginning of the 2024 season, Carolina’s actual sentiments towards him will be revealed.
