Panthers Kick Former Starter to Curb After Major Injury News in Projected Trade

The Carolina Panthers have said they're not having a fire sale at the trade deadline, but actions speak louder than words. And really, the return for Diontae Johnson looks even worse if you don't consider this a fire sale. That means any veteran without a long-term future on this roster should be up for grabs.

That becomes particularly relevant in the backfield today, with the news that rookie Jonathon Brooks is practicing in full, meaning his NFL debut is likely coming on Sunday.

Brooks won't immediately step into the lead back role or be asked to be a workhorse as we close out the season or anything, but that's fine. Chuba Hubbard can continue to lead the way as he heads into free agency this offseason. That does make Miles Sanders very disposable.

And luckily for the Panthers, there's one NFC squad that really should be desperate to add another running back before Tuesday's trade deadline. That's why we're projecting the Panthers make another move to add a day-three draft pick.

Hypothetical: Jonathon Brooks Injury Update Leads to Miles Sanders Trade

Here we have the Panthers trading Miles Sanders (plus the 49ers' seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft) to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Is the return what Panthers fans would have hoped for when the team signed Sanders after a 2022 Pro Bowl campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles? Obviously now. But we're clearly at a "take what you can get" stage here, and "what you can get" for Sanders isn't going to be a whole lot more than a bag of balls.

With the discount you typically find on future picks, moving up from the 7th to the 6th doesn't offer a huge amount of value, but the key here is that we're talking the 49ers' seventh, which will likely be toward the end of the round. The Cowboys, on the other hand, seem to be constantly teetering on the brink of disaster (what happens with Micah Parsons this offseason?), and that could very well end up being a relatively early sixth. So it's not a huge movement, but it's certainly not something to sneeze at.

Plus, simply freeing up Sanders' roster spot can be meaningful. This gives a chance for one more young unproven player to fight to make their mark and potentially work their way into the team's long-term plans.

Small incremental moves like this don't seem like much on the surface, but the Panthers front office needs every win it can get right now, no matter how small.

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