Miles Sanders is proving he is worthy of his looming extension next season

Miles Sanders has just one year remaining on his contract after the 2021 season. It has been a highly-debated topic if the Eagles running back is worthy of a new deal. The third-year back is having another phenomenal season and has begun to prove his worth over the last two games.

Before their game against the Jets, Sanders had just three 100-yard showings in his career, but has posted 120 and 131 yards in his last two games. The 131-yard performance on Tuesday night was Sanders’ career-high and he was basically unstoppable the entire game. 

Miles Sanders is currently 3rd amongst all starting running backs in yards per carry (5.5 YPC) pic.twitter.com/gxNZn3f7rt

— Jack Connell (@JackPConnell) December 22, 2021

Running backs are amongst the most “beat-up” positions on the football field and often have the shortest shelf life. Combine that with backups beginning to post similar numbers on a quarter of the contract, and it’s hard not to blame teams for being reluctant in extending running backs. Here in Philadelphia, Eagles fans have witnessed these failed contracts firsthand with players like DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.

With his current production, it’s hard to estimate what Sanders’ contract would be, but the likely guess is around $10 million. Jordan Howard is another crucial piece to this Eagles’ offense and should be discussed in the same vein, but an extension for him won’t reach the same amount. 

Compared to the rest of the league this past month, Sanders stands tall in nearly every category except touchdowns. Somehow, Sanders hasn’t rushed for a single touchdown this season but has done well enough for this team to get them into the red zone.

Miles Sanders since Week 11 (all starting running backs):

Rushing Yards	Yards per Carry	Yards per Game	Rushes for 10+ Yards
409 (4th)	6.1 (1st)	102.3 (3rd)	9 (3rd)

It’s phenomenal how efficient Sanders has been, and he still isn’t getting the football as much as the rest of this group. Last season, it was an issue with the Eagles’ overall refusal to run the football. This year, it’s understandable with Hurts and Howard also being in the mix and highly efficient.

The only two players that sat ahead of Sanders numerous times in these rankings were Dalvin Cook and MVP favorite Jonathan Taylor.

Philadelphia is on pace for a historic season running the football and Sanders is a significant reason why that could become a reality. This team has built an identity through running the football, and that won’t change for quite some time. Lock in who you have that has made it possible and build upon it for the seasons to come.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports