Austin Ekeler might have requested a trade from the Los Angeles Chargers, but he’s still open to returning to the team. In an appearance on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, posted Monday, Ekeler clarified his feelings on the Chargers and his trade request.
“I think it’s really important to put it out there that it’s not like, ‘Oh, I hate the Chargers, and I need to get out of this organization, and I need to leave,'” Ekeler said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I would like to stay if it was under the right circumstances.”
Ekeler made his request on March 13 after long-term extension talks with the team fell through. One day later, the Chargers reportedly granted his request.
“Obviously, I have one more year on my contract there, so I’m contractually obligated to play for them for this upcoming year,” Ekeler told Long. “So, we’re in a situation where it’s like, look, we have no guarantees or anything like that this year, so kind of in a spot where I’ve been outplaying my contract, and we might have an opportunity to go seek out other options that can bring me up.”
There’s no doubt Ekeler has outperformed his contract and status as an undrafted free agent thus far. The Pro Bowl running back is due just $6.25 million and carries a cap charge of $7.75 million for this coming season.
That’s not a lot of money for a player who had 107 catches for 722 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns last season. Ekeler also ran for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Ekeler knows his production is good enough to earn a long-term contract with another team, so he’s trying to take advantage of it while he can.
“I feel like there’s no timeline on it,” Ekeler said. “I’m so underpaid right now as far as my contract and what I contribute to the team; it’s like, I am relentlessly pursuing this. I want to get something long-term done. I want a team that wants me long-term. I’m at the peak of my game, right? As long as I’m healthy, I’m gonna score you another 20 touchdowns. I’m gonna have, you know, another 1,600 all-purpose yards. I’m getting half my value of what I could be getting. I am relentlessly pursuing someone who wants me for the long term.”
| Games | Rec. | Yards | Avg. | TD | |
| Austin Ekeler | 73 | 362 | 3,169 | 8.8 | 26 |
| Christian McCaffery | 59 | 362 | 3,105 | 8.6 | 17 |
| Alvin Kamara | 72 | 249 | 2,927 | 8.4 | 17 |
| Leonard Fournette | 66 | 276 | 1,917 | 6.9 | 6 |
| James White | 48 | 220 | 1,865 | 8.5 | 13 |
| Aaron Jones | 74 | 233 | 1,821 | 7.8 | 17 |
| Saquon Barkley | 61 | 247 | 1,820 | 7.4 | 8 |
Source: Statmuse.com
As for the Chargers, they brought in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this offseason to help make the offense more dynamic. Mike Martz, an analyst for The 33rd Team, believes Moore might be another reason Ekeler wants to leave.
“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.”
Although Ekeler said there’s no deadline for a trade, if the Chargers want to get something for him this season, they’ll have to make a move before the 2023 NFL Draft.
Rumors that Austin Ekeler has played his last game for the Los Angeles Chargers are circulating through the NFL world. Former NFL running back Chris Johnson explains why Ekeler would be a perfect fit for the Buffalo Bills and help make them the league’s most prolific offense.
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.
