A few months ago, it looked like Los Angeles Chargers star running back Austin Ekeler had one foot out the door.
He was asking for a big contract extension, and when he didn’t get it, he asked to be traded, which was seemingly one piece of the mounting evidence that NFL teams simply don’t value running backs anymore.
Ekeler backed off his demand, and he is in training camp this week for the Chargers.
But he had some strong words about the meager running back market these days, as it seems he feels running backs are being disrespected, via B/R Gridiron.
“We’re not just numbers on page, we’re actual players.”
Austin Ekeler talking about the RB situation
(via @joereedy)pic.twitter.com/95ftjMqph1
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) July 27, 2023
Ekeler referenced the narrative that running the football doesn’t lead to a lot of offensive success, and despite what analytics may claim, teams still need an effective running game, if nothing else than to open up the passing game.
Perhaps the path forward for running backs to be valued is for them to do their best to become dual-threat backs.
When it comes to dual-threat RBs, Ekeler is simply one of the best.
He has run for over 900 yards and a total of 25 touchdowns in the last two seasons, and in 2022 he also added 722 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
He was also one of only a few Chargers players to appear in all 17 games of an injury-plagued 2022 campaign.
As usual, the team has high hopes for the new season, but how much those hopes turn into tangible results will largely hinge on how healthy they are.
If healthy, perhaps L.A. will have a puncher’s chance at getting to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.
