Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey became the highest-paid player at the position this week when he signed a four-year, $64 million extension that was sure to catch the eye of many other backs.
Miles Sanders is one of them. The Eagles running back offered “a big congratulations” to McCaffrey on his new deal and called the Panthers star “the reason why I got drafted” in the second round last year. Sanders believes McCaffrey’s ability to make plays on the ground and through the air changed the way the NFL views running backs and that he’s going to try to build a similar career in the coming years.
“When I look at him, I look at a back that’s very hard to stop. I want to be that back,” Sanders said, via Tim McManus of ESPN.com. “I want to be that back where you think you can stop me in the run game and then, boom, I’m outside in the passing game and I’m rolling up yards for the team. I want to be that back where there’s no way you can really slow me down or stop me or take me out of the game because I’m so versatile. That’s the type of mentality and the type of player I want to be.”
Sanders picked up 1,327 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, which is more than what McCaffrey picked up during his rookie season in 2017. If he progresses like McCaffrey has over the last two years, the Eagles will be happy with how things turned out while they face a big decision on a new contract.