The beginning of the new league year was flooded with moves in free agency, but one of the most notable storylines to emerge was Austin Ekeler‘s trade request. The Chargers running back has one year remaining on his contract, and even though he has been given permission to find a trade partner, he realizes a seventh season with his only NFL team to date remains a distinct possibility.
“When it comes down to what’s going on with the whole trade and all that stuff, really, look, we’re trying to find a long-term partner,” the 27-year-old said while appearing on Sirius XM’s Fantasy Sports Radio. “That’s what we want. We want someone who wants to sign us for a few years and sees us not just in the immediate future, but a couple years out” (h/t NFL.com’s Nick Shook). 
Ekeler is due to make $6.25MM in 2023, the final year of a $24.5MM extension which ranks him far lower in the RB pecking order than his production would merit. The former UDFA has led the NFL in total touchdowns each of the past two campaigns, eclipsing 1,500 scrimmage yards in three of the past four years. A long-term deal coupled with a sizeable raise – rather than discontent with the Chargers – was the reason Ekeler gave for asking to be dealt this offseason.
As he explained in his latest public comments on the subject, contract talks he had last year with Los Angeles fell well short of producing a new deal. He mentioned that he felt he “kind of got punched in the face” in 2022’s negotiations, adding that no tangible progress was made after this past season, one in which he set new career-highs in both rushing (915) and receiving (722) yards.
“It was around the combine that a lot of these talks start[ed] happening,” Ekeler said. “Basically, we just could not even get close to… it wasn’t even much of a negotiation. It was just kind of a, more so ‘hey, this is what we’re thinking, this is what they’re thinking,’ and it was just OK, we are not on the same page, let’s just end this because I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
This offseason has seen several modest deals given to free agent backs, the latest sign in the decline in value at the position. That, coupled with his age, could make it challenging for Ekeler to find a suitor willing to commit to a lucrative deal. Indeed, it was reported last month that a strong market was not expected to emerge for him. As attention starts to turn to the draft, Ekeler reiterated his willingness to remain with the Chargers at least one more year as he eyes a new pact.
“Look, I guess the worst-case scenario right now out of all of it, I’ll come back and I’ll have to play for the Chargers for a year and bet on myself and then be a free agent next year.”
The Chargers currently have just under $15MM in cap space, and would clear all but $1.5MM of Ekeler’s $7.75MM cap hit with a trade. The team has a number of other financial priorities, including a monster deal for Justin Herbert. In the absence of progress on the extension or trade fronts, though, Ekeler could find himself suiting up in familiar territory next season.
Wow, timing has been bad for Ekeler. He didn’t get a great deal after his breakout season with almost 1000 yards receiving and 500 more on the ground. It was only one season.
Next time around he’ll be too old. Ekeler will never really get paid. But as good as Ekeler is he’s not peak Christian McCaffrey, nor Dalvin Cook nor Derrick Henry. He can give high paid Alvin Kamara or Nick Chubb or Joe Mixon a run for their money though.
The chargers won’t trade him within the AFC for anything but a 1st probably
So the Chargers won’t be trading him at all then….
Bijan to Chargers might be a realistic option.
They just drafted Isiah Spiller.
The fact no team has really shown much interest in trading for him speaks volumes.
Well, Ekeler’s problem is that he is a bit too well rounded. Any coach or analyst or talking head loves going to bat for him as one of the league’s most underrated players, but the that they have to is because he isn’t quite seen as a top five type of back. Why? Well, Ekeler hasn’t had a 1000 yard season purely on the ground. That absolutely does not mean that he is not valuable in other ways, of course. Ekeler’s strength is his versatility-he can do anything that a back can be asked to do, and do it well. Thing is, he is not the best at any one of them, despite being close to the best in several categories (pass catching and outside running in particular). There’s not one thing for him to hang his hat on, other than…well, everything.
Is that fair? No, it isn’t. I think that this is especially true given that Ekeler is extremely reliable and does not wilt under pressure, no matter how the rest of the team’s momentum swings. But it’s easy for a prospective employer to weigh the cost of dealing for a back who hasn’t given a 1000 yard in one singular category, and who has shared a backfield with other backs (even though this is partially what limited his production in some areas). Perhaps teams expect the Chargers to demand too much. Ekeler should have a few years left, and should be a QB’s best friend due to his versatility and ability to be a great safety outlet. He’s used to being in a committee. His work ethic and off field personality are not concerns (and in fact are pluses). I think that it’s just too early right now.
The longer this goes, the more teams may be interested-unless they draft a substitute, which is the issue here for letting this situation brew to the necessary point to force a trade. Ekeler would be a great piece for a contender, though. If he isn’t happy in L.A. and the Chargers don’t plan on giving him a multi-year deal, they’d be wise to scan the market for some compensation before the draft. I can think of a few teams (like, say, New England) who could use him and others who missed out on other players (Chicago) that could be interested.
The problem Ekeler has is age. When he comes off contract, he’ll be a 28 year old back. At that age, it’s tough to get paid as every year there are inexpensive rookies who aren’t much worse than you and will only get better.
Running backs should watch their contract years carefully. When they come off the rookie deal is the only chance most will ever get for a contract in the $10+ million category. The drop from Barkley at $10 million to James Conner, Miles Sanders, Ekeler, Kareem Hunt (who lost his payday over the drug party scandal) and David Montgomery to the $7 million and under category is huge.
Yeah, I’m not reading all of that. I’m happy for you though. Or sorry that happened.
Yes, it was quite tragic. The greatest time of my life. It was the best of times, it was the…oh, sorry, didn’t mean to make you read again.
Is that a Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities reference?
Guilty. And I apologize for being a smartass. It was uncalled for.
He’s a change-of-pace back who’s been forced to carry too much of the load as a runner. Worse for him, he wants to be paid like a bell-cow, which he is not. Realistically, he should be looking to be paid as one of the better RB1b’s or RB2’s in the league.
Ekeler is great out of the backfield and can take it to the house as a runner. He’s in peak LeVeon Bell territory. Not only that but Ekeler is sure-handed, something that Melvin Gordon is not. Ekeler is probably worth it, but due to age and his existing contract, does not have the leverage to get paid his full market value. When he plays out his contract, it’s unlikely anyone will offer him much more than he makes now.
Ekeler’s year to get paid was last year or this year if he’d been a free agent. But he wasn’t because he signed for $15 million guaranteed on 16 March 2020 (total contract value $24.5 million). Ekeler had to put that long term guaranteed contract in the bank in 2020 as with no guarantees, any injury would have left Ekeler with next to nothing. As an UDFA Ekeler had earned all of $1.6 million in his first three years in the league (2017-2019).
In general, Ekeler has been fairly treated by the Chargers and doesn’t have much to complain about. In 2020, when the Chargers put $9 million on his bank account (mostly signing bonus for this contract), Ekeler must have been injured as he only played 35% of snaps and added only 900 yards from scrimmage total (running and receiving). Ekeler costs $8 million against cap (that 2020 signing bonus) so he’s lucky the Chargers want to keep him for this last non-guaranteed year.
If Ekeler were cut, his market value seems still sub-$10 million so this is a lot of smoke for very little fire.
Leveon Bell Lite ain’t worth the $$$$$
Chargers are smart. This is how you do with RBs. Let the contract expire. Franchise tag one year. Then bye Felicia. 3rd round RB will do just fine when you gotta pay herby n those WRs
The Chargers are notoriously cheap. They always have been cheap and always will be cheap.
With the salary cap, it’s either be efficient with cap money or lose out. Any team carrying a franchise quarterback not named Brady has spent more on the QB than a team can sustain and keep winning. With these delayed contracts, void years and constantly changing bonuses, player management has come down to peaking for a year or two and then giving up for three years and then doing it again. The Steelers seem to be the only perennial winners on a sustainable road. Maybe the Patriots can get back on the winners path again. Pete Caroll has played his cards reasonably well, dumping the overpriced and fading Russell Wilson on time. Wilson’s contract constrained the Seahawks over the last few years though.