Cowboys RB Miles Sanders out for season with knee and ankle injuries; Jaydon Blue climbs depth chart

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders will miss the remainder of the season due to injury, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. The team will move Sanders to the season-ending injured reserve as he deals with knee and ankle issues. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, it is the knee ailment that will keep Sanders on the shelf for the rest of the year as he is set to undergo a chondral tissue graft surgery. It is the same procedure Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs had in January.

Sanders did not play in Week 5 against the New York Jets, and while he attempted to practice on Wednesday, he left the session early. Sanders also missed time in training camp with a bruised knee and sat out of a preseason game with a shoulder issue.

“Unfortunately, at the end of the day, attrition will get you,” Jones said. “We just found out we’re going to lose Sanders for the year, our running back. These things have a way of spots opening up.”

Sanders joined the Cowboys in March as a free agent. He signed a one-year deal after being cut by the Carolina Panthers two seasons into a four-year contract. Sanders enjoyed a prolific run with the Philadelphia Eagles before his Panthers tenure and for his career boasts 4,462 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.

Jaydon Blue to climb Cowboys depth chart

While Sanders’ injury is a blow to the Cowboys’ running back group, it does also provide an opportunity for rookie ballcarrier Jaydon Blue, who made his NFL debut last week in Sanders’ absence. The Texas product and fifth-round pick handled four carries for seven yards but could see a larger role in the weeks to come.

Javonte Williams remains the featured back in the Dallas offense and already has 447 yards and five touchdowns to his name this season. Blue will form a one-two-punch with the fifth-year veteran as the Cowboys seek to maintain the NFL’s most productive offense by yardage.

“We’re so fired up about what Jaydon Blue can do for this offense,” Jones said. “He’s got rare explosiveness. I know Coach Schottenheimer and his offensive staff are going to certainly continue to figure out the best way to use him. I think he’s really going to bring something to this offense at the running back position that we haven’t had. As much as I respect and think a lot of Sanders, I think at the end of the day, Blue can really bring some more juice to this offense.”