A Signature Season Meets a Critical Point for Miles Sanders

Outplaying the 49ers' Christian McCaffrey would be a statement for the Eagles RB

PHILADELPHIA - For Miles Sanders and the 2022-23 season, everything started in the heat of Houston back in the summer.

It was at Rice University where the Eagles’ RB1 began a season-long chase for respect with his long-time coach and mentor Craig Williams at his side.

Nothing was all that different than a typical offseason for Sanders other than the location, the shift from South Florida to South Texas, a renewed focus on preparing his body for the upcoming grind, and a sentiment.

The Pittsburgh-area native has had a chip on his shoulder that started growing at Penn State as a five-star recruit waiting for his turn behind Saquon Barkley and it accelerated through his first three seasons as a professional where production didn’t quite meet the promise.

Back in training camp when reporters factually noted Sanders was getting some reps with the second team, Sanders wasn’t happy and it started a season-long schtick from Nick Sirianni of slamming the podium and saying “Miles is our guy” when it comes to the running game.

The Eagles – like most teams – rotate backs during drills at camp and sometimes the rep count doesn’t align with other positions so there was nothing there behind the thought that undersized second-year back Kenny Gainwell was somehow gaining on Sanders when it came to the depth chart.

Fast forward to the eve of Sunday’s NFL Championship Game against San Francisco at Lincoln Financial Field and many of Sanders’ goals were reached during what was a dream season for Philadelphia.

“I’m just trying to live in the moment,” Sanders said Friday. “Stuff like this doesn’t come around a lot. Everybody knows how hard it is to win in this league, so just taking it all in, blessed, not taking it for granted.

“... Trying to prepare the right way and get the job done on Sunday.”

Sanders obliterated his previous career-high in rushing and cracked 1,000 yards for the first time, finishing at 1,269 yards on 259 carries with 11 touchdowns after a 2021 season in which he didn’t find the end zone once. 

He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time and even his preseason sentiment of Howie Roseman putting together an All-Star team manifested itself with 17 of the team’s 22 starters receiving some kind of postseason recognition.

Everything came up Sanders in a contract year and the stars keep aligning. In the divisional round, he outplayed Barkley in a 38-7 rout of the New York Giants.

His matchup against the 49ers is all about the No. 1 defense in the NFL with the best linebacking tandem in the league, All-Pro Fred Warner, and the uber-athletic Dre Greenlaw.

“A run defense like them is very unique,” said Sanders. “... It’s a challenge, but it’s always a challenge, it’s the NFL. You get to this stage in a year and you’re going to be playing the best. That’s what we expect. Our job is to execute our job and play to the best of our ability.”

The measuring stick of Christian McCaffrey on the other side for the 49ers also looms, however.

The trope of running backs and Roseman in the current environment is both well-known and earned. 

That’s why draftniks outside of Philadelphia who don’t do the research to understand how the Eagles conduct their business get chuckled at when they unfurl a mock draft that connects talented Texas RB Bijan Robinson to the organization at the top of the 2023 draft.

Sanders, the 53rd pick in 2019, is where the valuation of the position usually starts to make sense for Philadelphia.

Exceptions prove every rule, though, and two years earlier the Eagles were prepared to shock the world and take McCaffrey at No. 14 overall, according to multiple team sources. Philadelphia even considered a small move up for what it considered was a generational talent.

Carolina jumped at No. 8 for McCaffrey and what would have been a trend buster for the organization escaped into the ether.

In the ensuing years, McCaffrey has been as advertised, when healthy at least, something that hasn't been the case the last three years.

Even this week leading up to the title game, McCaffrrey was a nonparticipant in practice until Friday.

A dominant runner and a better route-runner than most receivers, McCaffrey’s midseason acquisition by the 49ers coincided with the team’s impressive run. He will arrive at Lincoln Financial Field on an eight-game touchdown streak and as the No. 1 threat on an offense with Deebo Samuel, Geoge Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk.

“I look forward to seeing him ball out and hopefully chop it up, but we have to come away with that W, so I’m a little bit friends with him, talk to him a little bit, but have all the respect for him,” Sanders said of McCaffrey. “He’s paved the way for backs like us.”

If Sanders outplays McCaffrey in the NFC Championship Game, the road to redemption could move onto Glendale for Sanders.

Asked about Sunday potentially being his last game at Lincoln Financial Field and whether a contract extension is on his mind, Sanders kept his eye on the prize.

“Sunday, 49ers, 3 pm,” he said.

Whether anything is enough for Roseman when it comes to a second contract for Sanders remains to be seen but being the best RB on the field in the NFCCG would enable Sanders to rest assured that he did everything he possibly could to make the Eagles rethink their beliefs at the RB position.

.-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen