Is Austin Ekeler the NFL's most important running back?
There is a bit of a war going on between Austin Ekeler and the Los Angeles Chargers over the running back's contract. Ekeler will become a free agent at the end of the season and has been a vocal part of the running back contract crisis recently.
The Chargers have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. The question remains: What role will Ekeler play? On the ground, Ekeler has had 900+ rushing yards and has played 33 out of 34 games.
Austin Ekeler comes alive in the red zone as he bagged 12 rushing touchdowns in 2021, and 13 last year. He has had just 200+ carries in the last two years, in a predominantly passing offense. Moore is one of the NFL's most clever coaches for the past few years as his Cowboy offenses have been electric.
The other very important part to Ekeler's game is his receiving ability. He garnered 1300+ receiving yards in the past two seasons, along with 13 rushing touchdowns.
Justin Herbert does not mind turning to Austin Ekeler when he is in the red zone. In the modern game, a lot is expected of the running back to contribute to receiving. Ekeler is one of the league's best at that.
Many people may consider Ekeler as a red zone threat only. That may have been the case for 2021, but he expanded his reach last year.
The 28-year-old secured a 72-year run last season and picked up 36 first downs as a receiving back. The Chargers have to decide soon whether they are going to stand by Ekeler because several teams would like to pick him up next summer.
Austin Ekeler could join highest-paid running backs
Dalvin Cook has just recently received a deal from the New York Jets for about $7 million after he was kicked out by the Vikings. A similar fate may fall to Austin Ekeler if the Chargers do not provide him his money. There are a large number of running backs who will be free agents next season.
Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard may all have to look for a new team next year. There was outrage over the fact that the Raiders did not give Jacobs a handsome new deal as he was the league's best running back last year.
This had led to a lot of players and fans wondering about the treatment of running backs.
It's a relatively short career on average compared to other positions. For how important a running-back is, they do not get paid more than the offensive lineman, for example. NFL teams have to find a way to handle this situation or their best running backs will all walk.