Miles Sanders came to training camp this summer with a new sense of purpose, determined to show he can still be the top running back for the Carolina Panthers after losing his starting spot last season.
Even though Sanders is still behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart as they head into the season opener on Sunday at New Orleans, he has clearly made progress and is fighting for more playing time.
“He has looked fantastic,” Panthers first-year head coach Dave Canales said. “He came into camp with this focus and seriousness about his work. He is becoming a leader.”
Frank Reich, who was let go 11 games into his role as Panthers head coach last season, had planned for Sanders to be the “every down back” after the Panthers signed him from the Philadelphia Eagles with a four-year, $25.4 million contract.
However, Sanders’ performance dropped quickly.
He lost his starting position about a month into the season and ended with a career-low 432 rushing yards and just one touchdown on the ground. This was a big drop from his standout 1,269-yard rushing and 11-touchdown season with the Eagles in 2022.
Meanwhile, Hubbard led the Panthers with 902 rushing yards and five touchdowns, averaging 3.9 yards per carry compared to Sanders’ 3.3. Hubbard also had more catches as a receiver with 32, while Sanders had 27.
By the end of last season, Sanders had nearly vanished from the Panthers’ offensive plan.
He had just 14 carries for 33 yards in the last four games, two of which were shutouts for the Panthers. It was a tough finish to a disappointing season for Sanders.
“Last year was pretty chaotic and left a bad taste in my mouth,” Sanders said. “I’m unhappy with how I played and how things turned out. I feel like I have something to prove. That’s true every year, but this year feels different — and I’m not giving up without a fight.”
Sanders still feels strongly about why things went wrong last season but chose not to go into details.
However, he likes the direction the Panthers are taking under Canales, who has promised to focus on building the running game.
“Everybody is on the same page, I can just say that,” Sanders said. “You can feel it and the energy is contagious.”
Sanders mentioned that he spent time with family in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas during the offseason, relaxing and trying to process what happened.
But he didn’t let it bring him down; he returned a few weeks later to start a tough workout routine, which he believes has put him in the best shape of his career.
“I’m going to make it very hard for Chuba and the coaches to not give me the ball,” Sanders said.
Canales used Rachaad White as his main running back last season while he was with Tampa Bay, but he plans to use both Hubbard and Sanders in a two-back system.
The Panthers also aim to develop rookie Jonathan Brooks, their second-round pick, who is expected to miss the first six weeks of the season while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered at Texas.
“That’s really the plan we’re hoping for, to keep Miles and Chuba sharing the workload as we go through the season,” Canales said.
