Chargers Give Austin Ekeler Permission To Seek Trade
News 3/14/23
It became a little more likely on Tuesday that Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler will play elsewhere in 2023.
After he and the team could not reach a deal on a new contract, he was permitted to seek a trade, ESPN reported. He had sought permission on Monday. The Pro Bowl running back is due $6.25 million and carries a cap charge of $7.75 million in 2023, making him an easy asset to trade.
The Chargers hired Kellen Moore to be their offensive coordinator last month. It’s no secret Moore is a big fan of the passing game, something Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy made known upon Moore’s exit from Dallas.
“He’s a guy who wants to just flat-out pass the football,” said Mike Martz, an analyst for The 33rd Team. “The running game’s kind of an afterthought for him always has been. Whether that’s good or bad doesn’t really make a difference.
“But if you’re Austin Ekeler, and you’ve always had a vital role in the offense — not just as a rusher, but with different routes, and particularly in the red zone where he’s so dynamic — he’s probably had a vision of what’s going to happen offensively there, and he’s probably not a part of that vision.”
Ekeler had 107 catches for 722 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns last season. He also ran for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The 2022 season was the second consecutive in which Ekeler has run for at least 900 yards. He’s eclipsed 400 yards receiving in four out of his six NFL seasons.