Ekeler is signing a two-year contract with the Commanders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The deal reportedly is worth up to $11.43 million, but with only $4.82 million guaranteed in the first season and a significant portion being incentives. Ekeler turns 29 in May and is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he experienced a massive downturn from his 2021-22 production while dealing with a high-ankle sprain and poor blocking. Even if he can't recapture his peak form, he should be useful as a passing-down back given that he has 3,884 career receiving yards and 30 receiving TDs. The Commanders likely envision Ekeler and Brian Robinson sharing backfield snaps, though it might look quite a bit different than Robinson's split with Antonio Gibson in 2023 (Gibson is signing with the Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). The Commanders have a new offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) and are widely expected to acquire a new quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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ACTIVELatest Austin Ekeler news
Rushing
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FD | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | LAC | 14 | 179 | 628 | 4 | 5 | 55 | 30 | 5 |
| 2022 | LAC | 17 | 204 | 915 | 5 | 13 | 72 | 47 | 5 |
| 2021 | LAC | 16 | 206 | 911 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 46 | 4 |
| 2020 | LAC | 10 | 116 | 530 | 5 | 1 | 27 | 17 | 1 |
Receiving
Ekeler is signing a two-year contract with the Commanders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The deal reportedly is worth up to $11.43 million, but with only $4.82 million guaranteed in the first season and a significant portion being incentives. Ekeler turns 29 in May and is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he experienced a massive downturn from his 2021-22 production while dealing with a high-ankle sprain and poor blocking. Even if he can't recapture his peak form, he should be useful as a passing-down back given that he has 3,884 career receiving yards and 30 receiving TDs. The Commanders likely envision Ekeler and Brian Robinson sharing backfield snaps, though it might look quite a bit different than Robinson's split with Antonio Gibson in 2023 (Gibson is signing with the Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). The Commanders have a new offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) and are widely expected to acquire a new quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Chargers don't plan to give Ekeler a franchise tag, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Ekeler was never a serious candidate for the tag, given the Chargers' hesitance to hand him big contracts in the past and his downturn in production during the 2023 season. He'll hope to convince other teams that his high-ankle sprain was a big part of the problem in 2023, along with general dysfunction in Los Angeles that made it difficult to find running lanes and gain yards. Ekeler seems like a questionable fit under new Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman -- best known for powerful running games -- but a return to Los Angeles can't entirely be ruled out at this juncture. If he does end up signing elsewhere, it's hard to say whether Ekeler will be deployed as a lead back or as more of a passing-down guy in a timeshare.
Ekeler was surprisingly held at bay by a Packers defense that has struggled against the run this season. While the tailback's average of 6.4 yards per carry was impressive, Ekeler coughed up the ball in scoring territory during the fourth quarter. With minimal contribution in the passing game, it was a missed opportunity for Ekeler, who is now set to square off against a tough Ravens defense in Week 12.
The Lions' vaunted run defense certainly performed as advertised, as Ekeler averaged just 3.5 yards per carry over the afternoon. The electric scat back did get his customary red-zone work, which resulted in a short touchdown; however, the 28-year-old was otherwise bottled in terms of explosive plays. The seven-year pro now has six consecutive games with at least 14 carries and owns a near monopoly on the Chargers' goal-line touches, which means even with a sub 4.0-yard-per-carry average, he remains a weekly fantasy lock for the time being.
Career History
Previous Game
2023 Regular Season Stats
|
Regular Season
|
rushing
|
receiving
|
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Date
|
Opp
|
Result
|
CAR
|
YDS
|
AVG
|
TD
|
LNG
|
FD
|
REC
|
TGTS
|
YDS
|
AVG
|
TDS
|
LNG
|
YAC
|
|
1/7
|
L 12-13
|
10
|
11
|
1.1
|
0
|
6
|
3
|
7
|
8
|
38
|
5.4
|
0
|
9
|
60
|
|
|
12/31
|
L 9-16
|
13
|
46
|
3.5
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
|
|
12/23
|
L 22-24
|
15
|
65
|
4.3
|
0
|
10
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
21
|
7
|
0
|
14
|
28
|
|
|
12/14
|
L 21-63
|
5
|
9
|
1.8
|
0
|
6
|
0
|
4
|
6
|
29
|
7.3
|
0
|
12
|
52
|
|
|
12/10
|
L 7-24
|
10
|
51
|
5.1
|
1
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
7
|
49
|
9.8
|
0
|
18
|
40
|
|
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