The running back Austin Ekeler will not participate, according to shocking news from CBS Sports.….VIEW MORE…
Austin Ekeler’s free-agent market developed over the course of a few hours. He joins the show to take inside that chaotic day and offer his thoughts on the NFL’s new rules, where he would like to see the league expand, what he expects from his new team, the Washington Commanders, and his athlete fan connection platform, Eksperience.
Plus, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are entering mediation over their attempted purchase of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, the Kansas City Current are building a new neighborhood around their stadium, and the Utah NHL team name will be decided by a fan vote.
The Washington Commanders added several key pieces to their roster in free agency, one of which was Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. Long wanting a large, long-term contract, Ekeler and the Commanders agreed to a rather modest two-year, $8.34 million deal.
With Brian Robinson Jr. showing what he can produce when given opportunities, the Commanders knew that having another solid back behind him made sense. Antonio Gibson (Patriots) was moved on, and Ekeler was brought into Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, much to the surprise of some.
A dual-threat running back, Ekeler could prove to be one of the shrewdest moves of the offseason. But when comparing his signing in Washington to all others in free agency, where does it rank?
CBS Sports has Ekeler’s move to the Nation’s capital as the fourth-smartest move of the offseason.
“There are smart deals for free agent running backs, and paying Ekeler $4.17 million a year is one of them,” CBS Sports writes. “Ekeler never received the contract he wanted with the Los Angeles Chargers, and those days of getting major money for his position appear to be past him at 29 years old. If Ekeler is fully recovered from the ankle injury, the Commanders are getting a player that had 3,195 scrimmage yards and 38 scrimmage touchdowns combined in 2021 and 2022. If Ekeler performs near that level in 2024, his contract will be one of the biggest steals in the NFL.”
