Has the running back room inside Bank of America Stadium grown too crowded for Miles Sanders? One very important decision-maker doesn’t seem to believe so.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan spoke with reporters on Saturday evening, after closing the book on the first draft in his new role. Among the prospects he selected was University of Texas rusher Jonathon Brooks, who was taken in the second round with the 46th overall pick.
So with such a considerable investment in Brooks, will the Panthers end up phasing out Sanders? Morgan was asked if he’d be open to trading the soon-to-be sixth-year veteran.
“I think it’s just more . . . we’re always gonna be, if you wanna say, in on every deal,” he replied. “We’re always gonna keep our ear to the pavement and just kinda be open to everything.
“In terms of Miles, we love Miles. We see a big role for him. I think Dave [Canales] will tell you the same thing—we think really highly of Miles, we love Miles. He can do a lot for our offense. He’s versatile in the pass game and he’s a really good runner. So we’re excited about him as well.”
Sanders, who signed a four-year $25.4 million deal with the Panthers in free agency last spring, is fresh off the worst campaign of his NFL career. He hit lows in starts (five), attempts (129) and rushing yards (432) while averaging 3.3 yards per carry—the third-lowest in the NFL amongst all qualifying players.
Carolina’s backfield also carries Chuba Hubbard, who rushed for a career-high 902 yards in 2023.
