The Chicago Bears could use another running back, and Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon sees a potential target for them in free agency.
Los Angeles Chargers halfback Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler said at the end of the season that he knows he won’t be returning to the Chargers in 2024, opening the door for teams like the Bears to bring him aboard.
Chicago did finish second in the NFL in rushing offense this past season, but much of that had to due with Justin Fields’ running prowess. Take Fields out of the equation, and the Bears don’t have a whole lot to offer in their backfield. Khalil Herbert led all of their running backs with just 611 yards in 2023, so they could certainly stand to add another piece back there.
Ekeler is coming off of a rather disappointing season in which he registered 628 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.5 yards per carry. He also caught 51 passes for 436 yards and a score.
There are two ways you can look at this. Either Ekeler is on the decline, or he simply had an off year and is in need of a change of scenery. If it’s the latter, he may also come a bit cheaper given the season he just had.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Western State, went undrafted but landed with Los Angeles in 2017.
Ekeler broke out in his third season, rushing for 557 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in 92 receptions for 993 yards and eight scores.
Since then, Ekeler has stamped his name among the most versatile halfbacks in football, and in 2021 and 2022, he led the NFL in all-purpose touchdowns.
The fact that Ekeler is just two seasons removed from racking up 915 yards and 13 scores on the ground while snaring 107 balls for 722 yards and five scores as a receiver lends some hope to the idea that 2023 was merely an outlier campaign for the veteran.
Chicago has plenty of cap room, so if it wants to sign Ekeler, it certainly possesses the financial wherewithal to do so.
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