Getty The Cowboys and Mike McCarthy could pursue Austin Ekeler.
The Dallas Cowboys could make a “splash” in free agency by signing one of the more underrated players in the NFL.
The Cowboys could be a potential landing spot for Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, writes Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon. Ekeler is due to hit free agency and his Chargers tenure is essentially over. Ekeler said as much following the Chargers’ regular season finale in January.
“I’m not going to be with these guys anymore, and it’s one of those journeys that I’ll always remember,” Ekeler said after the regular-season finale, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “But sad that it has to end.”
As Kenyon writes, the Cowboys could offer Ekeler a deal in the $7-to-$8 million per year range.
“When healthy, he remains a valuable and versatile back,” writes Kenyon.” The question is how the 28-year-old is balancing role, money or team contention on what’s likely the final pricey contract of his career. Dallas, for instance, may offer $7-8 million per year to make a splash.”
Why Cowboys Could Benefit From Signing Austin Ekeler
It’s clear that Ekeler will be one of the top — and most in demand — running backs on the free agent market. What isn’t as clear is his market as he enters his age-29 season coming off of the least efficient season of his career.
During the 2023 season, Ekeler ran for just 628 yards on 179 carries (3.5 yards per carry) with five rushing touchdowns and just 51 receptions for 436 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. By comparison, he posted 915 rushing yards on 204 carries (4.5 yards per carry) with 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 107 receptions for 722 receiving yards and five touchdowns during the 2022 season.
Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns in back-to-back seasons during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Despite his high level of production, Ekeler has never been named to a Pro Bowl.
Despite that level of production, Ekeler never received the type of deal he was looking for as he entered the 2023 offseason looking to negotiate a contract extension. After stating that he felt like he was “punched in the face” after the Chargers dismissed contract extension talks in April, Ekeler agreed to a restructured deal including $1.75 million in incentives the following month.
Those incentives included the following benchmarks, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
“Ekeler can receive up to $1 million for total yards (tiers from 1,125 to 1,639), up to $600,000 for touchdowns (tiers from 10 to 16) and another $150,000 for a Pro Bowl selection in 2023,” wrote Patra in May of 2023.
Unsurprisingly, Ekeler’s reduced role in the Chargers’ offense led to the veteran back not reaching any one of those contract incentives.
According to Spotrac, Ekeler’s market value is $7.4 million per year across three seasons for a total of over $22 million.
Cowboys Have Number of Options at RB in Free Agency
The question is, what are the Cowboys’ plans at running back?
Dallas could bring back Tony Pollard after giving him the franchise tag worth slightly more than $10 million for the 2023 season. The problem is, Pollard isn’t very efficient as a sole lead back, averaging just 4.0 yards per carry this past season. It also doesn’t help that Pollard struggles in short-yardage and goal line situations, rushing for just six total touchdowns on the season.
The Cowboys could instead opt to go in an entirely different direction and sign Ekeler, who had been the NFL’s best red zone and dual-threat back in recent seasons.
There won’t be any shortage of options when it comes to the running back position in free agency, with proven backs such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and D’Andre Swift also hitting the market.
The Cowboys could benefit from a change and Ekeler could be the guy they target.