New Cowboys RB's Panthers struggles linked to Bryce Young by NFL insider

Miles Sanders had a rough go in Carolina.

Sep 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) hand the ball off to running back Miles Sanders (6) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers signed Miles Sanders to partner with Bryce Young in 2023, giving their rookie quarterback a seemingly reliable veteran coming off a really good season with career highs in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.

The problem was that he did that with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Panthers didn't have a rushing offense as good as theirs. For that reason and more, Sanders flamed out and was cut before the 2025 season, landing with the Dallas Cowboys.

In analyzing which of the four noteworthy backs might get the most carries in Dallas, NFL insider Garrett Podell of CBS Sports seems to link the running back's Carolina struggles to Young.

"He signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with the Panthers in 2023 but was released from the deal after struggling to catch on with former No. 1 pick Bryce Young going through growing pains in his transition to the NFL," Podell said. "Sanders produced just 637 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 104 carries in 27 games played the last two seasons."

The actual truth was not that Young's struggles truly prevented Sanders from making an impact. It may have played a small role given the fact that defenses would have been more concerned with the run than the pass, but that also meant that Carolina's offense was pretty run-centric.

They wanted Sanders to be the reliable veteran that their rookie could lean on while he was undergoing that transition to the NFL. Sanders wasn't that, but Chuba Hubbard was. That's why he was rewarded with the starting job over Sanders and then an extension before Sanders got cut.

The running back appears to be an early standout with the Cowboys, but things just never worked in Carolina.

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