Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has been one of the most productive players at his position in the NFL in recent seasons. He has been an elite pass catcher for the team, making up for their overall lack of impact on the ground.

For two consecutive seasons, Austin Ekeler has led the NFL in combined touchdowns scored. He had 18 in 2021 and 20 in 2020, finishing ninth in the Offensive Player of the Year voting. In the last two seasons, he has taken on a bigger role in the offense and responded with some very productive seasons.

Austin Ekeler has back-to-back seasons with at least 911 rushing yards and 647 receiving yards. He is a true dual-threat running back and arguably the best one in the NFL. His receiving skills for a running back are truly marveling, as he nearly broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark in 2019 and surpassed the 100-reception mark this past season.

Looking to cash in on his success, Austin Ekeler and the Chargers have begun some contract extension talks. However, those talks didn’t progress much, which has led to the Western State (CO) product asking the franchise for permission to seek a trade.

According to Adam Schefter, Austin Ekeler wants to speak to other teams about a potential after talks did not go well with the Chargers. Ekeler’s agent Cameron Weiss told Schefter and ESPN about the request being made.

You can add Ekeler to what was already a very deep group of running backs that are available this offseason. Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has also drawn some interest on the trade market and the free agency class is very deep as well.

With an oversaturated market, it could be difficult for Austin Ekeler to find the kind of deal that he is seeking. However, his track record speaks for itself. There aren’t many running backs that offer the dual-threat ability that he does and with an extension for Justin Herbert on the horizon, the Chargers may not be in a position to pay Austin Ekeler the kind of money that he is seeking.