Miles Sanders to sign 4-year deal with Panthers, per report

Update: It is a four-year deal for Sanders. Carolina pairs its new running back for the entirety of their rookie quarterback’s contract, prior to a potential fifth-year option. Sanders is coming off a career year and earned the trust of his new team on a long-term deal.

The Carolina Panthers are signing free agent running back Miles Sanders, per Jeremy Fowler. Sanders spent the first four seasons of his career playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is coming off an appearance in Super Bowl 58 and a career year.

2022 performance

Sanders played in all 17 games last season. He had 259 carries for 1,269 yards with 11 touchdowns. Sanders will replace star running back Christian McCaffrey, who was traded to the San Francisco 49ers at last year’s trade deadline. The Panthers currently hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and continue to make moves towards competing for an NFC South divisional crown.

Fantasy implications for Eagles

Philadelphia signed Rashaad Penny in free agency. With his injury history, it stands to reason that he could have been used as the backup to Sanders if they were to get him to return. For now, Penny or Kenneth Gainwell are expected to lead the Eagles’ backfield. It is a crowded running back room without a clear favorite when it comes to fantasy football. If Penny is healthy, which has recently been a big if, he could have the edge over Gainwell.

Fantasy implications for Panthers

Sanders’ fantasy value all comes down to the offensive line. He played behind a really good one in Philly and will not be doing so in Carolina. Sanders is going to be presented with an opportunity to let his talent shine and should be the unquestioned lead back in the offense. The good news is that he should see a strong uptick in targets out of the backfield and could get back to his rookie-year receiving numbers when he added 50 receptions and 509 yards through the air.