Austin Ekeler was an afterthought when he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Coming out of college, Ekeler had a phenomenal career, but Western Colorado wasn’t exactly a hotbed for future NFL talent.
So, Ekeler signed as a priority free agent with the Chargers and their head coach, Anthony Lynn. Lynn, a former NFL running back and first-time head coach, was the perfect mentor for Ekeler. The pair spent four seasons together until Lynn was fired after the 2020 season.
The bond remained strong, though. This offseason, with Ekeler finally a free agent, he chose to join his mentor in his new job with the Washington Commanders. Washington hired Lynn as its running backs coach and run game coordinator.
Why did Ekeler split with the Chargers after seven seasons?
“Well, I think you can kind of see how they’ve been building the team so far this offseason,” Ekeler told Kay Adams on “Up and Adams” of the Chargers and new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“They went out and drafted a tackle in the first round, brought in some bigger backs over from Baltimore. They want a guy that can hand the ball off to 200-300 times a year, and look, I haven’t had the capacity to do that; that’s not my game. That’s not how Austin Ekeler is going to be best on the field. There was a misalignment there, no harm, no foul. I will go find somewhere else where I can add value, where Austin can be the best version of myself out there.”
New @Commanders RB @AustinEkeler on why he and the #Chargers ultimately ended up parting ways…
“They wanted a guy to hand the ball off to 300 times a year… that’s not my game. There was a misalignment there, no harm no foul.”@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/9KBd1Lmpr5
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 17, 2024
Ekeler has had a phenomenal NFL career as a dual-threat back. He has averaged 4.4 yards per rushing attempt and has 440 receptions and 30 receiving touchdowns. While he had a down year in 2023 — so did the entire team — injuries were to blame.
The Commanders are taking the chance that a healthy Ekeler, used correctly in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and reunited with Lynn, will help Ekeler be the best version of himself.