Running back Miles Sanders of the Carolina Panthers declared on Tuesday that he will “absolutely” be ready for the team’s Sept. 10 opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ second-round pick in 2019 missed the last several weeks of training camp due to a groyne ailment that also kept him out of the first two preseason contests.

However, he worked out in full protective gear on Monday and Tuesday and didn’t exhibit any symptoms of the injury becoming a future issue.

Sanders displayed the burst that led the Panthers to sign him to a four-year, $25.4 million contract during an offseason when running backs in general were being undervalued at one point during practise on Tuesday.

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Coach Frank Reich didn’t rule him out for Friday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Lions because he looked so well.

In the game at Bank of America Stadium at 8 p.m. ET, Reich wants to start rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the majority of the first-team offence.

However, there is no way to know what Sanders can provide to Reich’s spread offence.

Reich stated, “We definitely feel like Miles has the chance and potential to be one of our playmakers. He is volatile. He poses two threats. He has good vision, long speed, burst, quickness, and all of those things. We went out and got him because of it.”

Sanders’ coworker during his 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Eagles, running backs coach Duce Staley, concurred.

Sanders wants to establish that he is still the dual-threat running back he was as a rookie, when he amassed 818 rushing yards and three touchdowns in addition to catching 50 catches for 509 yards.

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Since then, he has only ever caught up to 28 passes a season, with only 20 coming during Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl last year, when he rushed for a career-high 1,259 yards.