One former Philadelphia Eagles running back is trying to breathe life back into his career following season-ending knee surgery in 2025.
“Former Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders worked out for the Raiders today, per source,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account on Monday. “Sanders, a free agent, is fully cleared from a knee injury that required surgery and cut short his 2025 season in Dallas.”
He signed a 1-year, $1.337 million contract with the Cowboys in March 2025 but only played in 4 games with 20 carries for 117 yards and 1 touchdown.
Sanders Was Elite NFL Running Back With Eagles
Sanders was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles out of Penn State in the 2nd round (No. 53 overall) in the 2019 NFL draft and had 1,327 yards of total offense as a rookie. He followed that with 1,976 yards of total offense over the next 2 seasons despite missing 9 games due to injuries.
Sanders put it all together in 2022 as the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, with career highs of 1,269 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns as he made the Pro Bowl for the first time. He also played in all 17 games. That translated to his big payday with the Carolina Panthers on a 4-year, $25 million contract he signed in March 2023.
Sanders was replaced as the starter by Chubba Hubbard on the Panthers early in his tenure.
Eagles Trying to Bring Backfield Back to Life in 2026
The Eagles had the NFL’s top rushing attack in 2024 as running back Saquon Barkley not only became the NFL’s 9th player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season but was also named NFL Offensive Player of the Year — the cherry on top was the Eagles winning the Super Bowl.
That production fell off the map in 2025 due to a variety of issues — mainly injuries on the offensive line — and they’re trying to get back to the top of the mountain in 2026.
ESPN’s annual position rankings, as voted on by league executives, coaches, and scouts dropped Barkley from No. 1 in 2025 down to No. 3 in the 2026 version, with 1 ballot even putting him as low as No. 8.
“Barkley proved how great he can be with a 2,000-yard season in 2024 behind Philly’s elite offensive line, resulting in last year’s No. 1 ranking,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on July 6. “But the Eagles’ line in 2025 was subpar by its standards. Barkley still produced 1,180 yards, but big gains were far less frequent. His four runs of 20-plus yards were 13 fewer than the previous year. His rushing yards over expected, as charted by NFL Next Gen Stats, went from second in the NFL in 2024 to 24th last season. Many voters did not knock him too harshly for that … Since 2024, Barkley ranks second in 100-plus-yard rushing games (14) behind Derrick Henry (17).”
Barkley seemed like a different player in 2025, going from 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns in 16 games in 2024 to 1,140 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. That included a gut-punch drop in yards per carry from 5.8 yards to 4.1 yards.
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