The running back market was overflowing with talent this offseason and it got even deeper when Austin Ekeler became available. Contract talks between the Los Angeles Chargers and Austin Ekeler didn’t go well, so the franchise gave him permission to seek out a trade.
Given how little traction free agent running backs received, it is no surprise that Austin Ekeler hasn’t found a landing spot yet. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard all had the franchise tag placed on them and the players who signed new deals didn’t cash in as much as many expected.
With the 2023 NFL Draft almost upon us, teams will likely focus on finding a running back on a rookie contract that can contribute instead of using assets on acquiring a veteran. But, if a team does miss out on a target, Austin Ekeler is someone that should garner a lot of attention.
One of the best dual-threat running backs in the NFL, the Western State product provides a lot of value whether it is carrying the ball or catching passes. He is certainly underpaid as Austin Ekeler is 13th in AAV but you would be hard-pressed to name 12 running backs better than him currently.
While he would certainly provide value for the 2023 season, he is entering a contract year and wants a new deal. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, that is the one hurdle keeping a deal centered around Austin Ekeler from getting done.
“Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, who wants a trade due to a contract stalemate, has teams interested in potentially trading for him, but the desired new deal could be prohibitive.”
In salary cap hell, the Chargers would save $6.25 million by trading Austin Ekeler and they could use every penny. Given their bleak outlook salary cap-wise in the future and a massive extension for Justin Herbert on the horizon, it makes sense as to why Los Angeles would be open to trading him.
Plenty of teams would benefit from adding a player of Austin Ekeler’s caliber to their offense. The Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles would all make sense as landing spots for him.
