On Friday, the Dallas Cowboys sent out a tweet saying that running back Miles Sanders will have season-ending surgery on his knee. This decision comes on the heels of Sanders’ struggle with a lingering knee injury throughout training camp. He continued to play in only four games this season. He further proved his mettle by racking up 117 yards on the ground on 20 attempts in those games. Despite this optimism, he experienced a difficult outing against the New York Jets, limited to just four carries for seven yards.
Sanders signed a one-year free agent contract with the Cowboys worth $1.337 million. Smith comes to the big easy after spending the last two seasons with division rivals Carolina Panthers. His addition reaped tremendous rewards largely due to his big-play potential. For his career, that means he’s fine-tuned 447 rushing yards and five TDs on only 79 attempts.
Though he has very encouraged potential overall, Sanders entered the year with many question marks. It was, as he told the Miami Herald years later, the knee problem that had dogged him through training camp that hampered his game. Given these deep-seated issues, the Cowboys were in a bind. They decided that in order to really address the injury, they would need to go ahead with a surgical intervention.
With Sanders’ absence in mind, the Cowboys are set up nicely with depth at the running back position. Jaydon Blue, a rookie who debuted last week against the Jets, is now positioned as the No. 2 running back behind the starter. Blue’s recent performance has drawn attention, and the team hopes he can step up in Sanders’ absence.
Rookie running back Phil Mafah can be activated off IR this week. He has been dealing with a shoulder ailment. This injury prevented him from playing last weekend and it limited him to practice on Wednesday.
The Cowboys backfield takes a big hit with the loss of Sanders. There’s uncertainty over Mafah’s return, only deepening their conundrum. The direction that the team’s coaching staff is planning on going with the rest of the season needs schematic changes to maximize their offensive impact.
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