Is Miles Sanders playing tonight? Exploring Cowboys RB's status for Week 1 TNF vs Eagles

There have been some questions regarding Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders' availability for Week 1 after he missed the team's final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons due to a shoulder injury.

The Cowboys, having just completed the Micah Parsons saga, will go to Philadelphia for the regular-season opener against the Eagles on Thursday night. The Cowboys will be looking for a statement win tonight against the Super Bowl defending champions, and to do that, they will need all hands on deck.

Fortunately for Dallas, Sanders did not appear in the team's injury reports this week, suggesting that the shoulder injury that kept him out of the last exhibition game is no longer a problem.

The Cowboys brought Sanders in this offseason as a potential contributor to a rushing offense that ranked worst in the league last season. With Rico Dowdle carrying the majority of the workload, the team only managed three rushes over 20 yards and six rushing touchdowns in 17 games.

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Is Miles Sanders the RB1 on the Cowboys roster?

The Dallas Cowboys revamped their rushing department in the offseason, acquiring Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah via the draft and adding Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders through free agency.

It's still uncertain how the Cowboys' running game will pan out this year, but it is expected that Williams will be the team's starter initially.

Williams will have another chance to prove himself as the leading rusher in Brian Schottenheimer's rushing offense to start the 2025 season. Williams will need to show the talent level he displayed in college at North Carolina, as he hasn't reached those levels since joining the league in 2021.

Although Sanders will only be an option behind Williams on the depth chart, he is also expected to play a significant role in the Cowboys' offense this season.

How to watch Cowboys vs. Eagles Week 1 opener?

The 2025 regular season will begin at Lincoln Financial Field with the Philadelphia Eagles, the defending Super Bowl champions, hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.

Game info

Date and Time: Thursday, Sept. 4 at 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TV: NBC

Announcers: Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (color analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter)

Live Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NFL+

About the author

Habib Timileyin has been an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda for 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, and found himself drawn to the NFL about a decade ago.

Habib's favorite team is the Cincinnati Bengals and he particularly enjoyed their run to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season. The 2016 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots is his most favorite of all time, and if given a chance to go back in time, he would love to witness the Patroits’ incredible comeback from being 28-3 down to winning 34-28.

Habib admires Tom Brady for his journey from being in a low draft position to achieving immense success in the game. His favorite coach of all time is Bill Belichick.

Habib likes to study intricate details of a story before reporting on it, and compares information among several reputable sources to ensure accuracy. When he's not writing about the NFL, Habib is likely watching Soccer, Basketball or enjoying a good movie on sports.

Know More

Dallas Cowboys Fans! Check out the latest Cowboys Schedule and dive into the Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by John Maxwell