Washington Commanders’ Austin Ekeler Drops Truth Bomb on Pittsburgh Steelers Exit
After playing seven seasons for the Los Angeles Chargers, Austin Ekeler will soon start the upcoming season with the Washington Commanders. But before he does, the running back got real about why he walked away from his first team in the NFL.
Heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, Ekeler showcased exceptional athletic traits, running a 4.48 40-yard dash and posting high scores in Burst and Agility. Despite his college success and impressive measurables, he went undrafted and signed with the Chargers as a free agent.
In his first four seasons, Ekeler proved to be one of the league’s most efficient running backs, leading all backs with 6.9 Yards Per Touch in 2019. He also emerged as a dominant pass-catching threat, finishing second among running backs in receptions (92) and receiving yards (993) that year.
Ekeler’s breakout came in 2021 when he played 67.1% of offensive snaps. His elite production continued in 2022, as he finished as the top overall running back in fantasy, largely due to his continued high usage in the passing game.
Washington Commanders Running Back Austin Ekeler Gets Real on Los Angeles Chargers Exit
Throughout his entire NFL stint, Ekeler has only played for the Chargers. With a new phase of his career in Washington soon to start, the running back opened up about his former team in an article by Scott Polacek for Bleacher Report.
During the offseason, Ekeler inked a two-year contract worth $11.4 million to play for the Commanders. He is set to share the field and split carries with Washington’s Brian Robinson Jr.
With the NFL set to return soon, a lot of fans will be interested to see how Ekeler will perform. If he produces at an elite level, the Commanders will definitely get more than they paid for.
“They wanted a guy they can hand the ball off to 300 times a year, and, look, I haven’t had the capacity to do that,” he said during a Monday appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams. “That’s not my game. That’s not how Austin Ekeler is going to be the best on the field. So there was a misalignment there, which, no harm no foul. I’ll go somewhere else where Austin can be the best version of myself out there,” Polacek wrote.
