The NFL offseason has forced the Carolina Panthers to say goodbye to several players, including running back Miles Sanders. The veteran rusher couldn't live up to the hype stemming from the $25.4 million contract he signed during the 2023 offseason, resulting in his being cut on March 11 after just two seasons with the Panthers.
It didn't take Sanders long to land a new opportunity, signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys just three days after his Panthers release. Even though Carolina was ready to move on from the 27-year-old RB, the offseason split is still on Sanders' mind judging by the shot he just took at the team's front office.
Miles Sanders Shades Panthers Front Office for Offseason Exit
The Cowboys published an interview with Sanders on Friday, discussing his new contract as well as his Panthers exit. When asked about the two seasons he spent in Charlotte, the Penn State RB didn't hide the fact that he didn't like how Carolina's front office operated.
"These last two years, I don't really have much to say," Sanders told Cowboys writer Tommy Yarrish. "I guess I'd say I handled the situation as best I could, there was a lot of things out of my control that I would not like to speak on and just keep it in-house, so I'll just keep it at that."
New #DallasCowboys RB Miles Sanders reflected on his time in Carolina, and is clearly looking forward to a fresh start in Dallas.
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) March 21, 2025
"These last two years, I don't really have much to say. I guess I'd say I handled the situation as best I could.”
More: https://t.co/kTe6A0BBAU pic.twitter.com/KrmRgWHCxD
It isn't shocking that Sanders wasn't thrilled with how the Panthers used and treated him. The former Pro Bowl runner joined Carolina as the team's RB1 after racking up 1,347 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 279 touches across 17 games with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
Instead of using him similarly, the Panthers only gave Sanders the ball a personal-low 156 times (129 carries, 27 receptions) in Year 1, resulting in new lows when it came to scrimmage yards (586), yards per touch (3.8), and rushing yards per game (27.0) despite only missing one outing. It didn't help that Carolina used fellow RB Chuba Hubbard for 679 offensive snaps compared to Sanders' 406.
Sanders' descent continued in 2024, recording only 205 rushing yards on 55 carries and 148 receiving yards on 24 catches while scoring three TDs in 11 games. With Hubbard's responsibilities expanding across the board, it didn't take much for Panthers fans to realize that Sanders was on the way out this offseason.
Although Sanders is responsible for some of his struggles, you can't blame him for taking aim at the Panthers front office. He signed with the franchise under the guise that he'd be the No. 1 running back, only for Dave Canales' coaching staff to seldomly use him as one. Returning to form only became harder as his opportunities to prove himself dwindled.
The Panthers will host the Cowboys at some point during the 2025 regular season, however, an official date has yet to be confirmed. Either way, it won't be longer before Sanders has the chance to show Carolina's front office what it fumbled.
Whether or not the disgruntled former Panthers RB is successful with that goal remains to be seen.