Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that Sanders (foot/ankle) is considered week-to-week and is unlikely to play Sunday against the Chiefs, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Sanders was carted off the field with the lower-body injury during the Panthers' Week 10 overtime win over the Giants on Nov. 10, with Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reporting three days later that the running back was viewed as day-to-day. Despite having the benefit of a Week 11 bye to aid in his recovery, Sanders' injury looks to be more significant than the Panthers initially believed, as he wasn't on the field for the team's unofficial practice session Monday, per Joe Person of The Athletic. Sanders has been serving as the top backup to lead back Chuba Hubbard this season, but rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) is poised to make his NFL debut Sunday and could retain the No. 2 role even once Sanders is back to full health.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Viewed as day-to-day
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Sanders is considered day-to-day after undergoing extensive tests on his foot and ankle and meeting with a specialist Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Rapoport's report doesn't offer a precise diagnosis for the lower leg injury that Sanders suffered in this past Sunday's overtime win over the Giants, but the Panthers aren't expecting the running back to be in store for a long absence. Sanders will benefit from a Week 11 bye, but he'll need the swelling in his foot/ankle to go down before he's cleared to resume practicing. Even if Sanders is ready to go for the Panthers' next game Nov. 24 versus the Chiefs in Week 12, he could drop to third on the depth chart in the backfield behind Chuba Hubbard and rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee), the latter of whom is likely to be ready to make his NFL debut.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Seeing specialist
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Head coach Dave Canales said that Sanders will visit a specialist Monday for his knee/foot injury, Sheena Quick of Fox Sports Radio 1340 reports.
Sanders played six offensive snaps and rushed twice for five yards before exiting Sunday's overtime win over the Giants with the injury. Canales also noted the team doesn't have much information on Sanders' injury at the moment, but they should know more following Monday's visit. The Panthers have a Week 11 bye, giving Sanders an extra week to recover regardless of the severity of his issue.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Exits Sunday's game
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Sanders (foot/ankle) was forced out of Sunday's game against the Giants and won't return, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
Prior to being carted off the field, Sanders carried twice for five yards. In his absence, Raheem Blackshear is available to work behind lead back Chuba Hubbard.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Rough outing in win
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Sanders rushed twice for minus-5 yards in Sunday's 23-22 win over the Saints. He also caught both of his targets for minus-5 yards.
Sanders was highly inefficient in the Panthers' second win of the season Sunday, losing yardage on three of his four touches. He appeared to be one of Bryce Young's favorite targets after posting a team-high seven catches in Week 8's loss to the Broncos; however, he was targeted just twice in Week 9. Expect Sanders to continue seeing little offensive work in Week 10's matchup against the Giants, especially with 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) potentially making his NFL debut.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Week 9 Waiver Priority List
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There's a chance Sanders could traded to a new NFL team with the trade deadline Nov. 5, and you should add him in deeper Fantasy leagues if you have an open roster spot. With the right team, Sanders could once again regain Fantasy value, and he did just catch seven passes for 38 yards on seven targets in Week 8 at Denver. He's worth 1 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Career high in catches Sunday
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Sanders gained seven yards on his lone carry but caught all seven of his targets for 38 yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Broncos.
With Bryce Young back under center for the Panthers, Sanders wound up leading the team in receptions as he became the top check-down option for the second-year QB. The seven grabs were a career high for the sixth-year RB, but he came into Sunday with only 12 catches on 17 targets over the prior seven games. The performance still could be a preview of Sanders' role in the second half of 2024 if Young remains the starting quarterback, especially if Chuba Hubbard gets traded to make room for rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) as Carolina's early-down back.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Heavily involved Sunday
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Sanders rushed once for seven yards in Sunday's 28-14 loss to the Broncos. He also caught all seven of his targets for 38 yards.
The 27-year-old running back greatly benefitted from Bryce Young serving as the Panthers' top signal-caller in Week 8, as Sanders saw increased opportunities through the air. He led Carolina in receptions and tied rookie Xavier Legette for the most targets. While Sanders' increased usage Sunday is intriguing, his role is expected to dwindle in the coming weeks with 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) returning from injury.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Sees limited work again in Week 6
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Sanders took three carries for one yard and caught one pass for 12 yards in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Falcons.
The second-year Panther was an afterthought once again in Carolina's Week 6 loss, as Chuba Hubbard posted another efficient near-100 yard rushing performance. Sanders has now seen just eight total touches across the Panthers' last two games, and his workload will likely continue to decrease with Jonathon Brooks (knee) expected to return to practice next week.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Just four touches vs. Bears
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Sanders rushed two times for six yards in Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Bears. He also caught two of his three targets for 27 yards.
Sanders didn't benefit from the Panthers playing from behind for most of Sunday's contest, as Carolina was trailing 27-7 in the first half. With Chuba Hubbard tallying another efficient, near-100-yard rushing performance (97 yards on 13 carries), and 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) expected to return from injury in the coming weeks, Sanders' role in the Panthers' backfield will likely continue to diminish.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: No injury designation
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Sanders (illness) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Chicago, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Sanders returned to full practice participation Friday after sitting out Thursday. He's had the same role each week this season, getting 5-to-7 carries and 2-to-4 targets on 31-42 percent snap share. Sanders figures to handle similar workloads until Jonathon Brooks (knee) is ready to return from the reserve/non-football injury list, which still may be a few weeks out given that the Panthers didn't open the rookie's practice window this week.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Misses Thursday's practice
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Sanders didn't practice Thursday due to an illness, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Sanders wasn't listed on the Panthers' initial Week 5 injury report released Wednesday, so the illness is likely something that he picked up overnight. The running back's participation in Friday's session will likely provide a clearer indication of his potential availability for Sunday's game against the Bears. If Sanders cannot overcome his illness in time for Sunday, expect Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone to serve as the Panthers' top reserve running backs.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Nine touches in Week 4
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Sanders rushed six times for 32 yards during Sunday's 34-24 loss to the Bengals. He added three receptions on four targets for 14 yards.
Sanders logged his highest total yardage of the season in Week 4, but he remains in Chuba Hubbard's shadow, as the latter posted his second consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing performance and has now logged 290 total yards across his last two games. While Sanders is currently Carolina's No. 2 running back, he could be further demoted once Jonathon Brooks (knee) returns from injury in the coming weeks.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Inefficient in Week 3
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Sanders rushed seven times for 17 yards and caught both of his targets for 13 yards during Sunday's 36-22 win over the Raiders.
After Chuba Hubbard's monster game Sunday, in which he recorded over 150 total yards on 26 touches, Sanders appears to be firmly in Carolina's No. 2 running back role. This is the second week in a row that Sanders has struggled on the ground, accumulating just 37 rushing yards on 14 carries during that time. However, Andy Dalton taking over at quarterback reinvigorated the Panthers' offense, and Sanders could benefit from better opportunities as a result.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Leading rusher in loss
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Sanders carried the ball five times for 22 yards and failed to catch two targets in Sunday's 47-10 loss to the Saints.
Sanders was slightly more effective than Chuba Hubbard in this one, but neither back found much running room, and the Panthers had to shelve their ground game early in the rout. The longest carry of the day for Carolina was a meager eight-yard gain by Sanders. A timeshare between Hubbard and Sanders will limit the fantasy ceilings of both players, but it'll be a step up for the latter after he mostly got phased out of the game plan in the second half of last season. The Panthers' offense will look to regroup ahead of a Week 2 clash with the Chargers.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Dealing with finger issue
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Sanders is listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's practice report with a finger injury.
Sanders will have two more opportunities to upgrade to full practice participation before receiving an injury designation for Sunday's regular-season opener against New Orleans. The veteran running back looks in line to handle a depth role behind Chuba Hubbard to begin the season, as long as injuries don't impact his ability to contribute. However, Sanders could slide further down the depth chart once rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) is ready to come off the reserve/non-football injury list and make his NFL debut.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Behind Hubbard heading into Week 1
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Sanders rushed three times for six yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.
Sanders checked in for the second drive with the backups after Chuba Hubbard handled three carries with the first-team offense on the opening drive. Hubbard looks like the starter heading into the Sept. 8 season opener in New Orleans, but Sanders is likely to mix in occasionally, at least until rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) is ready to play. Brooks isn't expected to be available until Week 3 at the earliest.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Getting first-team work
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Sanders and Chuba Hubbard both have taken a lot of first-team reps at training camp, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Sanders became a forgotten man in fantasy circles following a disastrous first year in Carolina, with his value taking yet another hit in April when the Panthers drafted Jonathon Brooks (knee) 46th overall. Kaye refers to Hubbard as "the leader in the clubhouse" for the starting job but also notes that there's "legitimate competition" for backfield roles. Brooks is still on the non-football injury list after an ACL tear brought his college career to an early conclusion, while Sanders is back at full strength after a heel injury limited him during June minicamp. As bad as Sanders was last season, the Panthers have incentive to give him a second chance in light of his 2024 base salary ($4.02 million) being fully guaranteed. There's no major financial incentive to part ways with Sanders before next offseason, so a new coaching staff and front office in Carolina will at least give him a fair shake rather than handing things over to Hubbard (and eventually Brooks) without a challenge.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Joined by rookie second-rounder
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Sanders faces competition from rookie second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) for backfield work during the 2024 season, Joseph Person of The Athletic reports.
Sanders was overtaken by Chuba Hubbard down the stretch of the 2023 season, in which he logged a career-low 129 carries for 432 yards (3.3 YPC) and one touchdown, so the arrival of Brooks could impact his opportunities. First-year coach Dave Canales said the Panthers plan to deploy all three backs, and Brooks is working his way back from an ACL tear, so Sanders' primary competition for touches could be Hubbard to begin the year. It's easy to imagine a scenario, though, where Brooks earns himself a more solidified role atop the depth chart once he's fully healthy.
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Panthers' Miles Sanders: Disappoints in first season in Carolina
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Sanders carried three times for 18 yards across six snaps in Sunday's 9-0 loss to the Buccaneers.
Sanders was a major disappointment in his first season in Carolina after inking a four-year, $25.4 million contract in the offseason. After producing a career-best 1,347 yards from scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns for the Eagles in 2022, Sanders' numbers took a big step back while he moved to a dreadful Carolina offense. He finished the campaign with a career-low 129 carries for 432 yards (3.3 average) and one touchdown to go with 27 catches for 154 scoreless yards on 41 targets over his 16 appearances. Sanders' poor efficiency as a rusher eventually resulted in him falling behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, with Sanders failing to log double-digit targets in any of his final four contests. With Sanders and Hubbard under contract next season, the two could be thrust into a competition for the starting role heading into 2024 while the Panthers bring in a new coaching staff.
