After an offseason of unknowns surrounding Austin Ekeler’s contract and immediate future with the Chargers, he’s agreed to a reworked deal that will keep him in Los Angeles for 2023. The 28-year-old RB will still get to test free agency next offseason as he tries to maximize his NFL earnings after taking a team-friendly deal with the Chargers originally.
Austin Ekeler Contract Restructure Keeps Him a Charger
ESPN insider Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday morning that the deal is done.
“Star RB Austin Ekeler is staying in LA and having close to $2 million in incentives added to his deal for this season, per source, Schefter tweeted. “Win-win: Chargers keep their RB and Ekeler will be a free agent after this season at age 28.”
He also stated that Brandon Staley expects the veteran running back to report to mandatory minicamp on June 13.
That $2 million incentive still puts his overall earnings under $10 million in 2023. Considering what he has meant to the Los Angeles offense over the past few seasons, he is still severely underpaid relative to other running backs league-wide.
“I’m at the peak of my game, I’m going to score you another 20 touchdowns,” Ekeler said earlier this offseason. “As long as I’m healthy, I’m going to score 20 touchdowns, I’m going to have 1,600 all-purpose yards. I’m getting half my value of what I can be getting so I am relentlessly pursuing someone who wants me.”
Austin Ekeler’s Role Likely Changes in 2023
On the very surface of running back play, one may not understand the hubbub around Ekeler. Since entering the league in 2017 he has never rushed for over 1,000 yards. However, the Chargers RB fits into an almost perfect mold for a modern running back. He led the league in all-purpose touchdowns in 2021 and 2022, scoring an astonishing 38 times over that stretch.
Additionally, he’s accumulated over 1,500 all-purpose yards three times over the past four seasons. But his role will likely change slightly after seeing Joe Lombardi politely asked not to return as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.
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Ekeler’s career high is 206 carries, and the Chargers’ run rate was practically non-existent over the past few seasons. Given the Chargers’ backfield situation and the upcoming end of Ekeler’s contract, he’ll almost undoubtedly eclipse his career high in carries while also pushing his career-high 311 touch mark.
But it will be fascinating to see exactly how he fits into Moore’s offense. Ezekiel Elliott caught a career high 77 passes in 2018, but never saw more than 71 targets with Moore calling the plays.
Ekeler likely won’t be used as such a high-volume receiving target in Moore’s offense. That is especially true now that Quinten Johnston has been added to the receiving corps. Ekeler likely becomes little more than a checkdown option most of the time in Moore’s offense.
The Chargers’ RB Depth Chart Remains Uninspiring
Despite the devaluation of the position, talent still matters. The particular player may be less important than the sum of the parts, but there is a baseline skill level necessary for success at the NFL level.
Joshua Kelly has been around for three seasons now but has never been much of a true threat on the ground or through the air. However, he’s seen the most action of the three backs behind Ekeler. But he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Isaiah Spiller barely did enough to see the field as a rookie, and Larry Roundtree has averaged 2.2 yards per carry in his two seasons with the Chargers.
In other words, only Ekeler has been able to find efficiency in the Chargers run game over the past few seasons. They’ll undoubtedly look to upgrade the position in the offseason with multiple players.