3 of this week’s best critiques of Eagles rookie RB Miles Sanders

Eagles rookie-of-the-year candidate Miles Sanders is something special. ‘Birds’ fans have known that all season, and now, his peers the national media are taking notice.

He’s racked up 766 yards on the ground at the time of the publishing of this story, and the Philadelphia Eagles still have one game to play in the 2019 NFL regular season. That’s a franchise record for Philly’s star rookie running back Miles Sanders, but that’s also only half of the story.

His 1,590 all-purpose yards are also a franchise record, once set by DeSean Jackson when he was in Philly the first time. His collegiate head coach, James Frankin, told us all about the brilliance of ’26’ before he ever suited up to play an NFL game, stating a younger Sanders kept Saquon Barkley ‘looking over his shoulder’ during their days together in the Penn State Nittany Lions program.

Here we are, months later, an Sanders has a realistic shot at being the NFL’s Offensive rookie of the Year. He’s taking things in stride. The Eagles fan base is ecstatic. The national media is taking notice. Here are three of the best critiques we’ve seen.

Nothing holds a nickel to the weight of a teammate’s endorsement, and here’s one from an All-Pro, guard Brandon Brooks.

"He’s balling out. The game is slowing down for him. He’s looking good out there, man. He’s smooth when he runs. I would say everyone knows he’s fast, but he has deceptive speed. He’s a lot faster than people think, maybe because he’s a long strider, but [shoot]. When he gets going, he can really move."

Here’s one from his former teammate and new rival Saquon Barkley.

"That whole week I was hurt with a back injury, I remember telling people, ‘I can’t not play because if I don’t play, the world is going to see what this guy can do already, and it’s not my time yet to leave.’, so I kind of didn’t force myself, but that was in the back of my mind, to get back early so you can finish the season off strong and let him go do his thing next year."

Why not ask another All-Pro? Here’s one from Philly’s star center (and part-time Mummer), Jason Kelce.

"The way he runs, he’s very disciplined now with his eyes. To watch his progression throughout the season has been a lot of fun."

It seems fair to say that this guy’s a baller. If his colleagues say it, his coaches believe in him, and the national media signs off on it, as they seem to keep doing, then it must be so. We’re watching the beginning stages of a great career in the making.

Just ask ESPN staff writer Tim McManus.

"With injuries hitting the Eagles’ skill positions hard, Sanders has stepped up in a huge way, accounting for 40% of the team’s total offense over the past two weeks. He is a late-charging candidate into the NFL Rookie of Year conversation, and, with 12 plays of 20-plus yards this season (fourth among running backs), he is suddenly one of the most dangerous offensive players in football now that he has left the learning curve in the dust."

That last tip of the cap was a bonus. Again, this Sanders guy is pretty good.