The Carolina Panthers signed running back Miles Sanders to a four-year, $25.4 million deal last offseason with the hope of solidifying their backfield.
Now, Sanders is viewed as a potential cut candidate, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
The former Pro Bowler rushed for just 432 yards and a touchdown while averaging a meager 3.3 yards per carry in 16 games in 2023 and ended up losing his starting job to Chuba Hubbard.
To make matters worse for Sanders, the Panthers selected University of Texas halfback Jonathon Brooks in the second round of the NFL Draft, meaning that Sanders may now be third on the depth chart.
Sanders is due to make $6 million in guaranteed money in 2024 and carries a $7.7 million cap hit. If Carolina designates him as a post-June 1 cut, it would save $200,000 in cap space.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Penn State, was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He got off to a solid start, rushing for 818 yards and three touchdowns while logging 4.6 yards per attempt during his rookie campaign. He also hauled in 50 receptions for 509 yards and three scores.
Sanders went on to post similar numbers in his second and third seasons, but in 2022, he broke out, racking up 1,269 yards and 11 scores as a rusher, registering 4.9 yards per tote. He made the Pro Bowl for his efforts.
That ensuing offseason, the Eagles allowed Sanders to walk via free agency, as they typically didn’t give running backs lucrative long-term deals (a philosophy they broke by signing Saquon Barkley in March).
He went on to join the Panthers, who were hoping he would represent an integral piece in an offense that would come to be led by rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
Instead, Sanders was a massive bust in 2023, and now, he is a relatively afterthought in Carolina.
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