Chargers’ Austin Ekeler latest example of undervalued running back position

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

PHOENIX — Los Angeles Rams GM Les Snead says he’d do it again.

Just before the start of training camp in 2018, Snead and the Rams signed running back Todd Gurley to a record-setting $60 million deal that included $45 million in guaranteed money. Gurley had just won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2017 after leading the league with 2,093 scrimmage yards.

Two years later after Gurley’s production slipped due to balky knees and overall wear and tear on his body, the Rams released the No. 10 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He had two years left on his contract and nearly $12 million in dead cap money left on the books.

But despite having to move on from one of the pillars of the franchise before Gurley’s 26th birthday, Snead said he would do it again if he could get into a time machine.

“No. 1, Todd Gurley deserved the contract,” Snead told FOX Sports. “Would we have loved for him to stay healthy and continue to be the healthy Todd Gurley? The answer is yes. But that’s not the real world. A lot of times when you give contracts, it’s probably different than the analytical models. … But there is a living organism and culture where you are rewarding players, individuals, humans a little bit for past performance, and you’re hoping it continues forward.”

Five years later, Snead’s crosstown rivals find themselves in a similar situation with Austin Ekeler. The Chargers running back has a year left on a contract that will pay him $6.25 million in 2023.

Without an extension, Ekeler has asked for and been granted the team’s permission to seek a trade.

“I’m so underpaid right now, as far as my contract and what I contribute to the team,” Ekeler told former NFL defensive lineman Chris Long on the “Green Light” podcast. “I am relentlessly pursuing this. I want to get something long-term done. I want a team that wants me long-term because look, I’m at the peak of my game.”

Ekeler turns 28 in May. Over the past two seasons, he has 3,195 total scrimmage yards and a league-leading 38 total touchdowns. Last season, he accounted for 27% of L.A.’s offense.

“The respect for Austin that we have as an organization, there couldn’t be more respect for a player,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. “What he’s done for us and what he’s accomplished for us, is just the fullest respect. This is part of the business of the NFL, what we’re working through.

“We don’t have a timeline of what’s going to happen. We want him to be a Charger, but we’ll see where it goes. The business of the NFL will take shape, but we love him, and we can all come to the best solution.”

The Chargers have a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and believe Ekeler could contribute to the organization chasing a Super Bowl title in 2023. But how much are they willing to commit financially to keeping him in the fold?

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco dealt with a similar situation four years ago, when former first-round pick Melvin Gordon held out of training camp in the hopes of getting a contract extension after his rookie deal expired. Gordon was set to make $5.6 million on the final year of his rookie deal but sought an extension that paid him $10 million annually.

The Chargers granted Gordon the option of seeking a trade but found no interested suitors. So he sat out training camp and the first four games of the regular season. He ultimately did not receive a new deal and later signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent. Gordon never again reached the on-field success he had during his first few years with the Chargers.

Austin Ekeler discusses his underdog mentality

Austin Ekeler discusses his underdog mentality dating back to his college days and going undrafted out of Western Colorado.

The Chargers replaced Gordon as their starting back with Ekeler, signing him to a four-year, $24.5 million deal before the 2020 season. Ekeler and his representation are certainly aware of the Chargers’ negotiation history. So, he must make sure he cautiously navigates the situation and reaches some sort of solution before the 2023 season, whether that means staying with the Chargers or being traded to another team that would have to give up a draft pick and sign him to a new deal.

History is not on Ekeler’s side. Most teams view the running back position as a fungible asset, with an endless supply of talented runners entering the draft, and are not as willing as in years past to significantly invest in a steeply declining asset. For example, the Cowboys moved on from prolific running back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason.

San Francisco 49ers back Christian McCaffrey remains at the top of the market, earning $12 million annually. But even talented runners such as Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley have been unable to secure new deals, with both receiving the $10.1 million franchise tag from their respective teams.

Still, Snead believes talented runners such as Gurley are worth the investment.

“Most players in this league are good players,” Snead said. “But to be really good, and be that player where you’re like, ‘wow,’ that’s why you would say yes. It’s a running back and all the models say to move on, but Todd was special. He was unique. He changed the math, and that’s probably when the model goes, ‘OK, let’s do something a little different.'”

The Chargers must determine if they see Ekeler in the same way.

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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