The Philadelphia Eagles are in need of a playmaker in their backfield, and Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon sees a potential answer for the team this offseason.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.
Ekeler is slated to hit free agency this March, and he said after the season that he knows he won’t be returning to the Chargers in 2024.
This opens the door for teams like the Eagles to take a chance on him.
Plus, he may end up being a cost-effective option, particularly for a Philadelphia squad that only has modest cap space to work with this spring.
Ekeler is coming off of a rather subpar 2023 campaign in which he rushed for 628 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.5 yards per carry. He also caught 51 passes for 436 yards and a score.
Is the 28-year-old declining? Maybe, but it it certainly worth noting that in 2022, Ekeler racked up 915 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rusher while hauling in 107 receptions for 722 yards and five scores.
While it is definitely possible that Ekeler fell off between 2022 and this past season, it is also plausible that Ekeler simply needs a change of scenery.
The Lincoln. Ne. native, who played his collegiate football at little known Western State in Colorado, went undrafted but linked up with Los Angeles in 2017.
Ekeler showed promising versatility early on, and in 2019, he had a breakout year of sorts, finishing with 557 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while snaring 92 balls for 993 yards and eight scores as a receiver.
While he has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season, Ekeler has led the league in all-purpose touchdowns twice, doing so in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022.
If Ekeler can regain his old form, he would certainly be a big help to Philadelphia.