The Carolina Panthers are battered and bruised heading into their Week 18 game at the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Dave Canales is without several established stars for the regular-season finale, which is the final chance for this squad to impress before another important offseason for the franchise.
There was a flicker of light on the health front amid the doom and gloom. Carolina's running back room welcomed veteran Miles Sanders back to practice this week, which was somewhat surprising when one considers he's been on injured reserve since suffering an ankle complication in Week 10 against the New York Giants.
Sanders has underwhelmed since joining the Panthers. Big things were expected of the marquee free-agent signing after his Pro Bowl campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles. Poor production and injuries meant he never met expectations.
The former second-round selection lost his starting spot to Chuba Hubbard in 2023 and never got it back. Sanders' role diminished as the current season went on. This led many to believe he'll be a salary-cap casualty at some stage over the spring.
Now, he could get one final audition to improve his chances of an extended stay.
Carolina Panthers activated Miles Sanders to the 53-man roster before Week 18
Sanders is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at the Falcons. He participated fully in two of the three practice days, which is a step in the right direction. The Panthers also activated him to the 53-man roster on Saturday to further raise encouragement.
Sanders was officially active as expected. Just how much he'll be able to handle from a workload standpoint remains to be seen, but the Penn State product instantly becomes Carolina's top backfield threat for the final regular-season engagement of the campaign.
Hubbard is on injured reserve, bringing an abrupt halt to his outstanding season that also came with a new four-year deal. Second-round rookie Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL again in only his third NFL game and faces a long road back to health.
Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone didn't seize their respective chances last time out at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sanders' experience can help maintain a sense of balance offensively and provide second-year quarterback Bryce Young with a pass-catching outlet out of the backfield. That'll be a big help on the road versus a division rival.
It'll take a lot for Sanders to stay in Carolina. However, this represents a good opportunity to show other teams around the league that he's far from finished.
That's not a bad incentive to have after so long away from the gridiron.