4 Carolina Panthers players who blew big opportunities in 2023

Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB

Miles Sanders came into the Carolina Panthers as a newly crowned Pro Bowler after helping the Philadelphia Eagles win the NFC and reach the Super Bowl. He got a pretty decent contract considering paying running backs was not the trend around the league. The player declared his ambition to become a genuine three-down presence and a worthy successor to the recently traded Christian McCaffrey.

It became clear from early on that this wasn't going to work out. Sanders wasn't at 100 percent going into the campaign. He lacked explosiveness when running lanes emerged. The on-field vision that became the hallmark of his time in Philadelphia was non-existent.

When Sanders admitted defeat on the injury front, Chuba Hubbard stepped into the breach and immediately increased production on the ground. The former second-round pick was reduced to a backup once healthy enough to return. When carries or targets came his way, the numbers remained lackluster more often than not.

Considering the exceptionally high goals Sanders set for himself, gaining 586 all-purpose yards and one touchdown was a significant opportunity missed. This was the case to fill the gaping void left by McCaffrey - a task he failed to accomplish with a yards-per-carry average of just 3.3.

One positive for Sanders? He'll likely get another shot next season considering the fact it makes no financial sense to remove him completely from the equation.