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Austin Ekeler, a potentially dynamic running back, was added by the Washington Commanders after he and the team reached an agreement on a two-year contract worth up to $11.43 million, league sources revealed to The Athletic. Ekeler, who is ranked No. 60 on The Athletic’s 2024 free-agent roster, is coming off a season in which he scored the most touchdowns in the league in 2021 (20) and 2022 (18).
The versatile offensive playmaker became the fourth external free agent to agree to terms with Washington on the opening day of the league’s legal tampering period.
Ekeler, 28, has spent all seven years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Before the 2023 season, he requested a trade from the franchise but ultimately stayed after incentives were added to his contract.
He finished last season with 1,064 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. That was the third straight and fourth overall season he tallied at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage, finishing with 628 rushing yards and 436 receiving yards.
Over the past four seasons, he has been among the NFL’s most prolific running backs, scoring 47 offensive touchdowns, which is the second-highest of any player at the position.
Ekeler is the kind of high-caliber acquisition that has the potential to produce significant output.
How well he fits
The up-tempo style of new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is a perfect fit for Ekeler’s dual-threat ability. Antonio Gibson, a running back, and Curtis Samuel, a wide receiver, are two guys that do well in space, and they were not expected to return. On Monday, Gibson arrived with New England.
Keep an eye out if the Commanders managed to sign the 2022 version of Ekeler, who hauled in 107 receptions and 1,637 yards from scrimmage, a career-high. The 5-foot-9, 200-pound menace out of the backfield is a wow factor that fantasy football owners and Chargers fans are aware of. In seven seasons, Ekeler totaled over 1,500 yards from scrimmage three times. In 2019, the inaugural event was led by head coach Anthony Lynn, who is currently the running backs coach and run-game coordinator for Washington.
The league is undervaluing running backs, so Ekeler comes in on a cheap contract. His 2023 stats dropped precipitously following a severe ankle sprain injury sustained in Week 1. Ekeler set career lows in yards per rush (3.5) and touches (4.6). Due to an ankle ailment, he was out for three games and missed others.
