Miles Sanders is Running With Purpose
PHILADELPHIA – It was approaching 12:30 a.m. Monday morning.
The lights on the TV cameras had just turned off, and reporters had begun to disburse after a few minutes with Miles Sanders at his locker following Sunday night’s 26-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.
As everyone filed away, SI Eagles Today asked him one last question: Are you running with more purpose this year?
“Yeah, man, trying to be here for a long time,” he smiled. “That’s all. Trying to make the case.”
Sanders is making that case loud and clear.
That case, of course, is for a new contract.
He is either about to enter his final couple of months with the Eagles or he will be back, armed with a multiyear deal once this season is over.
Bye weeks, like the one the undefeated Eagles are on now, are always a good time to talk about a new deal if you’re the Eagles’ front office and there is somebody you feel strong about extending.
There are plenty of candidates for that kind of business, but Sanders should be near the front of the line.
“I have a lot of love for this city,” he said. “This is the team that drafted me. With the community stuff, I love the people of this city. They’re very passionate and they love their sports."
Remember, Sanders said during the summer that the Eagles have an all-star team and caught some criticism for saying that.
“This is the same city that talked bad about me for saying we were an all-star team,” he reminded those at his locker. “I think I’m backing that up right now. This is a great feeling overall to keep winning. … We still haven’t played our best game and that’s just crazy.”
Sanders would likely take a financial discount to stay in a city he feels so passionate about, to continue to play behind an offensive line he always talks about as important to his success.
He is fourth in the league in rushing with 485 five yards behind Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs.
The Eagles RB is well on pace to procure his first 1,000-yard season. He also has four rushing touchdowns, which are four more than last year.
“Miles has been tremendous through this first six weeks,” said offensive coordinator Shane Steichen on Tuesday. “Averaging 4.6 yards a carry. He’s running hard. He's got great vision.
'The biggest thing, too, besides that and his speed and his power and all those things that he has, the ball security is huge. We've had no fumbles this year, knock on wood. And we’ve only had two turnovers.
“I think when you go back to our big thing and what we look over is winning the turnover battle and winning the explosive play battle, I think it's proven over the first six weeks. We’ve got to continue to do that. Hats off to Miles. What he's done so far has been tremendous.”
As important as not fumbling is, so are the touchdowns.
“I don’t think anything is different, to be honest,” Sanders said when asked what’s different between last year when he didn’t have any TDs to now.
“Just a bad taste in my mouth from last year. I didn’t like to be the top running back and not have any touchdowns or to still not have 1.000 yards at least, it still does something to me. I’d be lying if I say it didn’t.
I’ve been prepping my touchdown dances.”
Whether or not the Eagles let him dance his way into free agency or commit to him remains to be seen, but Sanders is doing his best to make a commitment hard for the organization to resist.
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Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
