PHILADELPHIA — Eagles running back Miles Sanders broke his right hand against the New York Giants on Sunday and will miss this week’s game against the Washington Football Team, coach Nick Sirianni said Monday.
Sanders will be reevaluated next week. The team is hopeful he will return at some point this season and he will not be placed on injured reserve, Sirianni said.
Sanders left Sunday’s game in the first half and did not return. Jordan Howard and Boston Scott saw an increased workload in his absence, though Howard was later sidelined with a stinger. Howard’s MRI “came back good,” per Sirianni, and there’s optimism that he’ll return to play as well.
The Eagles (8-7) sit in the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC. They have two games remaining: vs. Washington and at the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia has a 56.2% chance to make the postseason, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.
The Eagles have won five of their past six games, largely because of their effectiveness on the ground. Philadelphia leads the league in rushing yards per game (163.2) and rushing touchdowns (22).
Sanders was coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances before Sunday’s injury. He missed three games earlier with a sprained ankle and the ground game still produced at a high level. With Sanders out and Howard banged up, Scott and rookie Kenneth Gainwell are expected to have bigger roles against Washington.
Sanders, 24, has rushed for 754 yards on 137 carries (5.5 yards per attempt) with no touchdowns in 12 games.