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Los Angeles Chargers star Austin Ekeler has requested permission to seek a trade. He’s angling for a contract extension, but “preliminary talks” are not progressing as he would have liked. The dual-threat running back is an offensive weapon who would be a dream fit with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Head coach Nick Sirianni has often brought Ekeler’s name up in press conferences. He watched him go from a possible cut candidate in 2017 to one of the most explosive backs in the NFL. The 27-year-old set a Chargers’ franchise record for receptions (107) in 2022 while becoming only the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to gain at least 800 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 700 receiving yards, and 5 receiving touchdowns in a single season. Yes, he’s a beast and a guy sure to have every team in the league blowing Tom Telessco’s phone all week.
Back to the Sirianni connection. While they were only together for one season in California, Ekeler made a lasting impression on the former Chargers wide receivers coach. In 2021, Sirianni recalled a story about Ekeler’s grind and how his ability to shine in preseason games stuck with him.
“But there are always some people that surprise you when the lights are on,” Sirianni told reporters on August 10, 2021. “I know, I can think of one guy that’s just in my mind that I’m thinking of is Austin Ekeler at the Chargers. He was kind of buried on the depth chart, and the lights came on and it was that running back scenario we just talked about and he was making all sorts of plays, and then we couldn’t keep him off the 53-man roster.”
One year later, on August 10, 2022, Sirianni mentioned Ekeler again when discussing what young players have to do to make the 53: “There are a lot of guys that come to mind with that. Zach Pascal. I’m just thinking of a couple guys off the top of my head. Austin Ekeler. So, it’s important. It’s big time important.”
Should Eagles Trade for Austin Ekeler?
The Eagles are in the market for a new starting running back barring a last-minute deal for Miles Sanders. The Penn State product is expected to sign elsewhere. Meanwhile, Austin Ekeler could be an attractive option in a trade scenario. He’s a much more dynamic player, the opposite of the one-dimensional Sanders, in terms of his ability to break off big gainers and catch passes out of the backfield. Dream fit.
The Eagles would have to trade for him and it might take a first-round pick. Then again, they do own two first-rounders (No. 10, No. 30) and Ekeler is only due $6.25 million in 2023. It might be something worth investigating. Ekeler would be a significant upgrade over Sanders for roughly $5 million more per season.
Spotrac has projected an Ekeler extension at $12.8 million per year, or 3 years at $38.4 million. He ran for 915 yards on 204 carries in 2022, adding 722 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns. He was tied for 9th place in NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting.
Eagles Making ‘Push’ to Sign C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The dominoes have already started falling at safety. Jessie Bates is heading to the Atlanta Falcons on a $64 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Fellow safeties Vonn Bell ($22.5 million, Carolina), Jimmie Ward ($13 million, San Francisco), and Marcus Epps ($12 million, Las Vegas) are all off the market, too. That leaves C.J. Gardner-Johnson as the best player left at the position.
CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr reported that the Eagles are making a “push” to get a long-term contract extension wrapped up. He’s looking at approximately $13.3 million in free agency. The Eagles need him. The market is quickly drying up at safety. Stay tuned.
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