NFL Player Profile: Austin Ekeler–Los Angeles Chargers
A team on the rise in the National Football League at the moment is the Los Angeles Chargers. In fact when you think of football in SoCal, you just cannot think of the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. The Chargers, led by quarterback Justin Herbert and running back Austin Ekeler, are building something special and laying down the foundation in generating a winning culture in the organization.
A week ago, we had a look at the best running back in the NFL in Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. Now it is time to take a look at another formidable back in Ekeler.
2021 Regular Season Statistics
In 2021, Ekeler had 206 rushes for 911 yards and 12 touchdowns. He added 70 catches for 647 yards and eight touchdowns. Where Ekeler is dangerous is he is a versatile back. He can be used well in the backfield, and be used effectively in the passing game in short yardage situations to pick up a key first down. Ekeler’s 20 receiving and rushing touchdowns were tied for the most this past season in the NFL, alongside Taylor.
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NFL Career
Ekeler, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, has now been with the Chargers for five years from 2017 to 2021. He has 607 rushes for 2812 yards and 21 touchdowns, along with 282 catches for 2726 yards and 24 touchdowns.
On December 8, 2019, Ekeler reached the century mark in receiving yards and rushing yards in the same game. He had 112 yards receiving and 100 yards rushing in a 45-10 Chargers romp over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then on October 4, 2021, Ekeler had a career-high 117 rushing yards in a 28-14 Chargers win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Undrafted
It should be noted that Ekeler was never drafted in the National Football League after playing his college football at Western Colorado. He signed his first contract with the Chargers after the NFL Draft in 2017. Then three years later, Ekeler signed a four-year deal worth $24.5 million.
2022 Los Angeles Chargers
In 2021, the Chargers just missed the playoffs with a record of nine wins and eight losses. To improve their 2022 NFL squad, the Chargers made two significant acquisitions on the defensive side. They acquired Khalil Mack in a trade with the Chicago Bears and cornerback J.C. Jackson in free agency.
