He moves like a pinball. He darts through holes like Sonic the Hedgehog. He has hands better than most wide receivers. While he only stands 5’10” and weighs 200 pounds, Austin Ekeler is a man amongst boys. The Los Angeles Chargers running back is only in his third year in the NFL after going undrafted in 2017 and he’s setting the league ablaze. Impressive for someone who shouldn’t even be starting isn’t it?
The only reason Ekeler has this chance is because the person above him on the depth chart, Melvin Gordon, is having issues getting a new contract. It’s a good thing that Ekeler is making the most of this situation. In his scouting report coming out of Western Colorado University, he was deemed “smaller than teams will look for from the position” and a “limited route-runner out of the backfield in college.” Those quotes are from the official website of the NFL draft. They thought that at his best, Ekeler would be able to “compete” for a roster spot and be a “contributor” in spots. This “contributor” is now averaging 122.5 total yards per game. He is well on his way to becoming a star.
Since 2010, quarterback Philip Rivers has been the engine that drove the Chargers. He has thrown for at least 25 touchdowns and 3500 yards. And he’s done all of this with no real threat at running back to take the pressure off of him. And while in recent years Melvin Gordon has alleviated pressure off of Rivers, he’s never had the impact that Austin Ekeler has. Just look at the numbers: Ekeler finished the month of September with 490 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. Gordon (who is a 5-year NFL veteran) hasn’t topped those figures over a four week span once during his first three seasons as a pro. He’s also doing things no undrafted running back has ever done, as he’s the first undrafted running back to post at least 3 receiving touchdowns in each of his pro seasons.
Even though Gordon is expected to come back next week, I doubt Ekeler will see a change in his role. He’s performed too well for that to happen and the Chargers would be dumb for trying to fix something that isn’t broken. And besides… having two good running backs is a good problem to have. The Chargers have discovered a diamond in the rough. It seems that the Chargers’ have found and new spark. And his name is Austin Ekeler.