Anthony Armstrong Breaks Down Huge Upside of Commanders Landing Austin Ekeler
The Washington Commanders have been quite busy in free agency, mainly in retooling their running back room. Former RB Antonio Gibson headed to the New England Patriots, while Austin Ekeler was brought over from the Chargers.
Ekeler had a dip in his performance last season, only bringing in 628 yards and 5 TDs on the rushing side, and 436 and 1 TD on the receiving side. Ekeler was the touchdown leader in 2022 with 18 total and in 2021 with 20 total. The main issue with Ekeler is his fumbling issues. Ekeler had five fumbles in 2023 and lost four of those five.
Despite those issues, he is still a proven dual-threat running back. Former Commanders wide receiver Anthony Armstrong breaks down the huge upside of adding Ekeler, even with his fumbles.
"Austin Ekeler, he led the league in touchdowns. Top flight performer and do-it-all guy for the Chargers. You get him in here on a deal that's not that expensive and you get an upgrade from Antonio Gibson. And you get another veteran leader on that offensive side of the ball. You can say he has a fumbling problem but the guy has led the league in touchdowns. I'll give you guys a little tip. If you put the ball in the endzone, they tend to put up with a little bit of your mess."
via Anthony Armstrong, Bleav in Commanders
Armstrong is indicating that even though Ekeler fumbles the ball at times, he also makes up for that by scoring touchdowns. Sadly, Ekeler lost five fumbles in 2023 and only scored a total of six touchdowns.
The touchdowns-to-fumble ratio was likely the biggest reason the Chargers moved on.
"I think he is going to be a great change of pace for Brian Robinson. Taking a little bit of a load off of him, where he was starting to showcase his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and make some plays with his hands. Now you don't have to do it so much."
via Anthony Armstrong, Bleav in Commanders
Armstrong believes that Robinson could go back to a three-down back, while Ekeler provides the dual-threat/pass-catching role. That might certainly be true, but the Commanders could also use both in unique situations where they are both dual-threat RBs defenses have to prepare for.
Either way, the Commanders got a nice deal on a former TD leader. Ekeler had an off year, but he should return to proper form in 2024.
James Brizuela has been a professional writer since 2019. After covering entertainment and the NFL for Sportskeeda, he now works as an Assignment Desk Editor for the LA Sports Report Network which has partnered with the Sports Illustrated FanNation Network, focusing on his expertise in LA sports at the college and professional level.