Eagles May Have A ‘Breakout Star’ In The Making

The Philadelphia Eagles backfield is going to look a little bit different in 2023 than it did in 2022. Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders is no longer in the picture as he signed a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

Looking to fill that vacancy in their lineup, the Eagles signed Rashaad Penny in free agency. The former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks has struggled to stay healthy in his career, but when he is on the field, he is one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL.

During the 2023 NFL Draft, Philadelphia made another move to upgrade their running back depth chart. They acquired D’Andre Swift in a trade with the Detroit Lions. Swift is another talented back with dual-threat abilities but like Penny, he has struggled to stay healthy, battling numerous nagging injuries.

While those two are expected to be prominent parts of the Eagles’ game plan, they aren’t who Jared Dubin of CBS Sports identified as a breakout player in 2023. Instead, it was one of their incumbent options, running back Kenneth Gainwell, whom Dubin believes will break out this season.

“Amazingly, the Eagles have probably invested more in Gainwell than either player. And we already know he has the trust of the coaching staff based on how he was used last season — especially in the playoffs. His career highs are just 68 carries and 101 touches, but if things break right he could double that this year. Given how efficient he’s been (especially as a pass-catcher), that would lead to a nice bump in production.”

Gainwell was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Memphis. He hasn’t had a prominent role with the Eagles yet as a pro, playing 29 percent of the offensive snaps as a rookie and 28 percent last season.

But, as Dubin pointed out, Gainwell is someone that the Eagles coaching staff does have a lot of trust in. He was their passing role running back last season and in the playoffs, he emerged as their backfield leader.

Gainwell recorded 33 carries and seven receptions in the postseason for 236 total yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. That is actually more touches than Sanders, who had 35 carries and only one reception during the postseason.

Given the health track records that Penny and Swift have, there is certainly a chance that a larger role awaits Gainwell in 2023. He could even be viewed as the starter, as training camp will reveal what the Eagles’ plans are for the third-year back.