The Philadelphia Eagles sustained a number of key injuries throughout the 2017 NFL season en route to their win in Super Bowl LII. Among the notable names to go down for the season was running back Darren Sproles.

There had been some speculation regarding whether or not the 35-year-old would return for the 2018 NFL season. According to Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice, head coach Doug Pederson was extremely optimistic about his return:

“We’ve reached out to him during the free agency period, and talked to him,” Pederson said. “He’s expressed that he wants to be back here. He knows we want him back here. Heck yeah. He’s a big part of our team. [He’s a] punt returner, he’s a tremendous back, third down guy. So we’ll see what falls out. He wants to still play, and I want him to play, and I want him to be an Eagle.”

Sproles has long made his bones as one of the best all-purpose backs in the league. He came off a 2016 campaign in which he carried the ball a career-high 94 times for 438 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was only able to register 61 yards on 15 carries before suffering a season-ending ACL injury last season.

Still, the pint-sized back's versatile skill set still makes him a bit of a commodity for an Eagles team looking to defend its crown in 2018. Pederson's comments only solidify the kind of impact he can have on the game out of the backfield and on special teams. That said, it is simply a matter of whether or not Sproles wants to give another go.