The Carolina Panthers' backfield will get reinforcements in Week 18. After missing all three of their top running backs in Week 17, Miles Sanders is set to come off injured reserve and play in the regular season finale.
Carolina activated Sanders, who had been dealing with an ankle injury, on Saturday, they announced on X, formerly Twitter. Sanders has not played since Week 10, when he was carted off the field in Germany against the New York Giants. He was later diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
Sanders' activation comes roughly one week after the Panthers were forced to place starting running back Chuba Hubbard on injured reserve. Hubbard's calf and knee injury ended an impressive season that saw him top 1,000 yards for the first time in his four-year career.
Without Hubbard, all three of the Panthers' top backfield options were on injured reserve in Week 17. Rookie Jonathon Brooks has missed all but three games in 2024, leaving Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone to lead the group. Blackshear and Boone combined for just 31 rushing yards in Carolina's 48-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Entering Week 18, Sanders has fielded just 38 carries for 139 rushing yards. He is two years removed from signing a lucrative $25 million contract with the Panthers during the 2023 offseason.
Miles Sanders, Panthers end 2024 against Falcons

Having long been eliminated from the playoffs, Sanders will return for one final act in the 2024 season. The Panthers enter Week 18 at 4-12 and face the 8-8 Atlanta Falcons, who still hold out hope for the final NFC Wild Card spot.
Despite the poor record, the Panthers have many positives to take away from the second half of the year. After getting off to another sluggish start, Carolina has finally gotten something out of former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after he re-gained the starting job. Young has gone just 3-6 in his second year as the starter but has fundamentally changed the offense to take a form it has not seen in nearly a decade.
Young's arm will be on full display in Week 18 against a Falcons defense that has been beaten through the air more often than the ground. Sanders figures to have a rude awakening against an Atlanta front seven that has allowed the eighth-fewest rushing yards in 2024.
Sanders could also potentially play without key blockers in front of him. Guard Robert Hunt and right tackle Taylor Moton are both questionable for the game with respective injuries.