With the season officially over, it’s time to look back and grade each Eagles’ position group. Today, we have Miles Sanders and the running backs.
The running game has been the heart and soul of Philadelphia’s offense over the past two years. Whether it’s Jalen Hurts, Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, or the Giant Slayer Boston Scott, this has been an impossible unit to stop. During the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, it was no different, although the feature back wasn’t who you’d expect. Below, we grade the Eagles’ running back group based on their 2022 performance.
Grading Each Eagles’ Position Group: Running Backs
Miles Sanders’ Breakout Year
Going into the year, the Eagles’ running back room was largely a question mark, but not based on whether they would produce or not. No, that was obvious–coming off a historic season in the run game, the Eagles were poised to find similar success on the ground. Where the questions arose was with the Eagles’ RB1, Miles Sanders.
Sanders played in his fourth professional season in 2022 but hadn’t truly hammered his stake in the league. He was fairly productive through three seasons, and even showed flashes of elite potential at times, but injury proneness, fumbling issues, and general inconsistency held him back. Despite being the biggest part of a running game by committee, he needed to step out and prove that he was a capable feature back.
And he did just that. Sanders put together a career year in 2022, rushing for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. For the most part, his fumbling issues were held in check, and he didn’t miss a single game. He capped off the season with a Pro Bowl nod, cementing him as a top-flight running back in the league.
This was a big season for Sanders and earned him a lot of money this offseason. Whether he stays in Philadelphia or not (which he has expressed major interest in), this was the season Eagles’ fans have been waiting for from him.
In the Playoffs, However, A Different Hero Emerged
The playoffs told a different story. Miles Sanders was still fairly productive–he finished the postseason with 148 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries–but he took a backseat to a different Eagles’ back, that being Kenneth Gainwell.
Gainwell was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, playing a limited role in the Eagles’ offense during his first two seasons. However, when his number got called in the 2022-23 playoffs, he continuously answered, ending the playoffs with 181 yards, a touchdown, and 5.5-yard average per carry. He truly stood out above his two counterparts in the backfield in Sanders and Scott.
Gainwell probably won’t be the Eagles’ RB1 moving forward, but his playoff effectiveness proved two things above all else: how good the Eagles o-line is, and how replaceable Sanders is. If Sanders doesn’t get resigned this offseason, it will be in part because of Gainwell’s productive stint during the most important part of the year.
So, What Does Sanders’ Future Look Like?
Miles finally proved his ability in 2022. However, amidst the many free agents on the Eagles’ roster, his lack of positional value might be the dagger in his stint in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this is just another example of the business aspect of the NFL.
However, if Sanders does go, what will that mean for the Eagles’ backfield? They could sign a guy–there are plenty of talented running backs on the market this offseason–but after letting Sanders’ walk due to a cap space shortage, this doesn’t feel like the play. They could also draft a guy, as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are both attractive late-first round options. Whatever path they choose to take, someone will need to be added because, as productive as Gainwell was in the playoffs, just Scott and Kenny aren’t enough.
For now, though, let’s just take a fond look back at these past two seasons, because both were truly amazing. Sanders, Gainwell, Scott–no matter who was in the backfield, the Eagles found success and were truly historic on the ground. 2022 was just another example of this–Philadelphia would not have been as good as they were if not for this group.
Final Grade: A
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