The Dallas Cowboys have an exciting camp battle continuing to emerge at the running back position. While Micah Parsons is understandably grabbing current headlines, the competition in the backfield is becoming underrated. The emergence of Jaydon Blue has changed how the backfield will look, appearing to push veteran Miles Sanders off the roster. Javonte Williams is the favorite to earn starting reps, and Phil Mafah has made some early headlines as well. This, along with Sanders cooling after a hot start, leaves reason to believe Sanders is going to hit free agency yet again after failing with Dallas.
Dallas drafting multiple backs in the 2025 draft always made it an uphill battle for Williams and Sanders to secure a position. Deuce Vaugn, Mafah, and Blue are all far more interesting potential offensive contributors than Sanders. Objectively, it is impossible to see an argument for keeping Sanders. Williams seems likely to start the season as the starter, with the trio of young backs all being given a chance to increase their respective roles. All of this adds up to Sanders lacking a realistic path onto the active roster.
The Cowboys Appear Likely to Cut Running Back Miles Sanders
A big piece of this competition as well is lost reps with Sanders suffering a recent knee injury, that gives the young pieces a continued chance to move past the veteran. No longer is the rusher in the same spot as he was in Philadelphia, often set up by an elite Eagles line. Leaving Philly for Carolina turned out to be an incredible mistake with a key fumble in the veteran's Panthers debut, setting the tone for what was to come.
Sanders looked slow and lacked the ability to fight through contact. The numbers cratered, and the potential value of the back followed. With this in mind, the Cowboys' signing of Sanders was always a bit of a gamble. It was an attempt at seeing if there was a possible rebound or anything left in the tank. Much as the Cleveland Browns are doing at the quarterback position, Dallas opted to throw everything at the wall, hoping to find an answer.
Camp has given fans and pundits the ability to begin to decipher these results and made it beyond clear that Sanders doesn't have a future with the organization. Barring a surprise turnaround or another injury, the 2025 season is going to begin with the veteran on another roster or sitting in free agency after another failed opportunity.