Sanders takes big step forward from injury ahead of Bucs game

[time2rock]

Sanders takes big step forward from injury ahead of Bucs game

 

After missing the last two games of the regular season with a broken hand, Eagles running back Miles Sanders took a major step toward returning against the Bucs in the wild card round.

No, Sanders technically didn’t practice on Wednesday, but that was because the team held a walkthrough.

But the Eagles did list him as a limited participant on their estimated injury report. Basically, this means that if the Eagles had a normal practice today, Sanders would have participated for the first time since breaking his hand. That’s significant.

And it furthers the probability that the Eagles’ top running back will be able to play on Sunday in Tampa Bay against the reigning Super Bowl champions.

"We're hopeful for Miles this week,” head coach Nick Sirianni said on Monday. "Again, that's why we didn't put him on IR way back when he did have the hand injury. So, we're hopeful for him.”

Here’s the full injury report from Wednesday:

Did not participate: DT Fletcher Cox (resting player), T Lane Johnson (resting player, knee), C Jason Kelce (resting player), DE Josh Sweat (illness)

Limited: LB Shaun Bradley (stinger), G Landon Dickerson (thumb), T Andre Dillard (knee), G Nate Herbig (ankle), RB Miles Sanders (hand), WR Greg Ward (back)

Full: QB Jalen Hurts (ankle), CB Kary Vincent (foot)

A few notes about the report:

• Jordan Howard (stinger) was omitted from the report. That’s a great sign that he’ll be healthy for the wild card round. Howard played in Week 17 but didn’t look like himself. He missed Week 18 on the COVID list.

• Good sign that Hurts began the week as a full participant. He has been dealing with an ankle injury since Week 12 but the Eagles rested him last week with the hope that he’d be at 100% for the playoffs.

"Jalen is feeling pretty good,” Sirianni said on Wednesday. "We're going to go out there and practice with a walk-through today, but we'll get more and more information on him as the week goes on. But I know the last week off really helped him heal and get better and closer to that 100%.”

• Good news that Bradley was able to at least be limited on Wednesday. He had already been dealing with a stinger after getting in a fender bender before Week 17. He missed that game and then in Week 18 he hurt his shoulder and was forced out the game early. Bradley doesn’t play on defense but is a huge special teams contributor.

• Sweat missed Wednesday with a non-COVID illness. The Eagles will need him on Sunday to get after Tom Brady.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-injury-report-miles-sanders-returns-practice-ahead-buccaneers-game