(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Austin Ekeler, the skilled running back for the Los Angeles Chargers, has been wanting a contract extension this offseason, but the team has reportedly been unwilling to meet his demands.
It led to him asking to be traded, but in recent days, it looks like the chances of him being traded have diminished.
The market for running backs, even those who can both run and catch passes at a high level like Ekeler, isn’t lucrative these days, and it could lead to him staying put for at least one more year.
It’s a fate he may be accepting, according to Around The NFL.
As the tweet below shares, Ekeler seems to realize he may need to wait one more year before his desired payday.
Austin Ekeler realizes one more year with L.A. might be in store: “I guess the worst-case scenario right now out of all of it, I’ll come back and I’ll have to play for the Chargers for a year and bet on myself and then be a free agent next year.”https://t.co/oYZrHnMNzK pic.twitter.com/PN7u5Q5yzB
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 5, 2023
Ekeler is one of the best NFL players who has never been named to the Pro Bowl, and some feel he was snubbed of that honor the last two years.
He has led the league in total rushing and receiving touchdowns in both of the last two seasons, and he collected 915 rushing yards and 722 receiving yards in 2022.
But he is nearing his 28th birthday, and historically, running backs fall off a cliff in terms of their production around the time they turn 30 years of age.
The problem for the Chargers is that they don’t seem to have any running backs behind him who could replace his production.
Even worse, they had a very weak running attack last season, even with Ekeler, as they ranked 30th in rushing yards and yards per rush attempt.
Needless to say, losing him, either this offseason or next, would be a major blow to their hopes of winning their first-ever Super Bowl anytime soon.
The post Austin Ekeler Accepts His Likely 2023 Fate appeared first on The Cold Wire.