National Football League

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler’s revenge: Keep putting up numbers in pursuit of new deal

Updated Jun. 29, 2023 1:43 p.m. ET

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Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

Just as he did as an undrafted rookie for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 out of Western Colorado, running back Austin Ekeler is betting on himself again.

Heading into the final season of a four-year, $24.5 million deal, the electric playmaker sought a new contract with the Bolts. But because of his age (28), the devaluation of the position he plays and a soft running back market in free agency, the Chargers balked and Ekeler asked permission to seek out a trade partner. 

Finding no takers, he ultimately agreed to an incentive-laden, reworked deal that adds $1.75 million in incentives as he heads into a contract year. 

"They're all obtainable," Ekeler told reporters about the incentives. "It's basically just having the same years that I've been having these past couple of years. It's benchmarks, right? You continue to play better, you continue to hit new benchmarks. Like I said, basically having the same year that I had last year would get me all of those incentives."

Ekeler's 2022 season was one of the best among NFL running backs, but surprisingly it did not land him on a Pro Bowl roster. His 1,637 yards from scrimmage ranked No. 8 in the NFL. He led the league in touchdowns with 18 and in yards after catch with 849. 

There's little question that Ekeler has been one of the most productive playmakers in the NFL during his six-year career. Since joining the Bolts in 2017, he ranks 11th among active players with 7,175 scrimmage yards, and he has scored 63 touchdowns during that time. In fact, Ekeler and Hall of Famer Lenny Moore are the only players in league history to record at least 25 rushing touchdowns and 25 receiving touchdowns in their first six seasons. 

However, running backs now face a dilemma: The franchise tag has limited the top backs' ability to establish their value on the open market. Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley and Tony Pollard were all franchise tagged this year at $10.1 million. Pollard has signed his offer sheet, while Jacobs and Barkley continue to seek long-term deals. 

Five years ago, the franchise tag for running backs was valued at $12 million. Christian McCaffrey is scheduled to make $16 million in 2023 at the top of the running back market, followed by Alvin Kamara ($15 million), Derrick Henry ($12.5 million), Nick Chubb ($12.2 million) and Joe Mixon ($12 million).

The Minnesota Vikings decided to cut four-time Pro Bowler Dalvin Cook and go with backup Alexander Mattison instead of paying Cook $12 million for the upcoming season. Cook is a free agent looking for a new home. 

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler discusses his underdog mentality

Ekeler might be wise to seek a position change from running back to slot receiver, with the franchise tag for receivers increasing from $16 million to nearly $20 million over the past five years. 

"I understand the league has that tool on their side to utilize that in the way and when they want to," Ekeler told reporters about the franchise tag. "But it's just really hurt our market. … Sure, you say we have a shorter life. People say we get hurt. Sure, you can look at numbers, but everyone gets hurt in the NFL. 

"As far as players in general, we only have a certain amount of time to play this game. To say, ‘No, you're going to have to risk it all again on a one-year guaranteed contract,' and tell someone that and put them in that situation, and not give them a choice, is just tough for me to accept, even though it is the way it is."

The issue of the devaluation of running backs is straightforward. They must spend three years in college during what could be their prime earning years before becoming eligible for the NFL Draft. Once in the league, top runners like 2023 first-round selection Bijan Robinson sign cost-restrictive rookie deals that also limit their ability to hit free agency for up to five years.

Running backs typically take the most hits of any player on offense and therefore have the shortest shelf life of any player, and the position is viewed as fungible because talented players like Ekeler can sometimes be found in the later stages of the draft or as undrafted free agents. 

"In sports, as in business, value is created by scarcity," former NFL executive and agent Andrew Brandt wrote in Sports Illustrated. "The most valuable jobs are the ones where it is hardest to find people with the competence and excellence to do them. Those positions in the NFL tend to be quarterback, edge rusher, offensive tackle, cornerback and, in recent years, even wide receiver. As for running backs, well, the universal feeling is that ‘You can find them' without the need to spend significant cash or resources." 

Ekeler appears to be an outlier. He has always taken good care of himself and should be a mainstay for new Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. But time will tell if betting on himself in 2023 will pay off for a 28-year-old running back at a devalued position where other elite runners are having trouble obtaining their value.

As he has done in the past, Ekeler is keeping it simple.

"I'll bet on myself any day of the week," he said. "That's what I've been doing all my life."

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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Eric Williams