Head Coach Nick Sirianni was asked what to make out of running back Miles Sanders taking reps with the second-team unit in Friday's practice.
Sirianni went on the attack to ensure that everyone knows that it is Sanders who is atop the team's depth chart.
"It just so happened to be the way the numbers worked a little bit," Sirianni said on Saturday. "But Miles was in with the ones as well and Miles is our guy. There is no secret. Miles is our guy, and we like to rotate our backs. But he's the guy."
After Saturday's practice, Sanders said that he's in search of respect in 2022. Consider these stats:
• Since entering the league in 2019, Sanders ranks third in the league among all running backs (minimum 300 attempts) with 5.08 yards per carry.
• Sanders' 5.66 scrimmage yards per touch average is the fourth highest among NFL running backs in that same span.
• There are only three players in Eagles history with 900+ scrimmage yards in each of their first three NFL seasons. Yes, Sanders is one of them, along with all-time franchise rushing leader LeSean McCoy and wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
So, yeah, Sanders might have a point. And with only five running backs on the roster, everyone needs to chip in. And, as Sirianni said, everyone gets a little bit of love in the backfield. The Eagles need to be ready for the grind of the 17-game regular season.
Sanders says that he's going to do "whatever I can to help the team win." Sanders aided the league's top-ranked rushing attack as the team gained 2,715 rushing yards, scored 25 touchdowns on the ground, and accumulated 163 rushing first downs – all franchise records. And the offense returns intact along with the addition of Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown to the mix.
"We still got a lot of work to do," Sanders said. "We've got a lot of talent on this team, a lot all around. But we got a lot of work to do still."
