As free agency begins to wind down and the Dallas Cowboys shift their focus to the upcoming 2026 draft, there are still some notable names from Dallas's 2025 roster remaining available on the open market. Unsurprisingly, among them is Miles Sanders after what was yet another disheartening season for the veteran playmaker. Sanders got off to a nice start with Dallas, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 20 totes in the early part of the season.
This was derailed when Sanders suffered a season-ending knee injury that required surgery, ending his short tenure in Dallas. The rusher remaining available in free agency isn't at all surprising, and the expectation should be that this could continue until we get closer to minicamps and training camps opening later in the year. At this point in the veteran's career, it has been three years since he was a consistently reliable option in an NFL backfield, and he is going to have to earn whatever opportunity he gets.
Sanders spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, failing to average 4.0 yards per carry, while serving as a consistent source of frustration for fans in Charlotte. Fast forward to his lone season in Dallas, and Sanders would end the year on IR, requiring us to turn all the way back to 2022, during his tenure with the hated Philadelphia Eagles, as the last time that Sanders was truly considered a productive and reliable NFL option.
Ex-Cowboys RB Miles Sanders Appears to Have Long Offseason Ahead
This makes it clear that teams have no reason to feel any sense of urgency to sign an option that is likely going to remain on the market throughout the next weeks of the offseason. It is far more exciting to look at undrafted rookies or potential draft picks as cheap insurance options at the position than an oft-injured, aging running back. There is always the chance you strike gold or find a surprise contributor, while it appears that Sanders is trending towards the end of his career.
While the current free agent is likely to garner at least one more opportunity, it will require a healthy level of patience. Sanders likely needs to wait out not only the top backs remaining on the market, but also let the draft play out in hopes of becoming a consolation prize for a team that finds itself still in need of depth at the position come the end of April.
For the Cowboys, re-signing Javonte Williams likely signified the end of their noteworthy moves at the position, with plenty of depth options remaining rostered. A reunion with Sanders is highly unlikely, with the most likely path for the veteran being a rebuilding team looking to bring in veteran depth behind a young starter. No matter where the landing spot is, it seems it will be some time before it is found after a trio of seasons has ended in frustration for the former Cowboy.