Chargers News: Kellen Moore Is Focused On Football, Not Austin Ekeler's Absence

Contract negotiations remain stalled.

Nov 7, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on the sidelines in the second half against the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

New Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, whom LA just poached from the Dallas Cowboys, is opting to prioritize the players present for the club's offseason minicamp rather than fret about the uncertain status of key Bolts running back Austin Ekeler. 

As loyal readers of this website know, contact extension negotiations between Ekeler and the Chargers have apparently broken down. The 27-year-old vet will be on the final season of a four-year, $24.5 million contact extension he inked with Los Angeles in 2020.

“Just kind of building a really solid foundation focusing more on the bigger picture, the big picture from a scheme standpoint," Moore reflected, per John Dillon of USA Today.

"Then, as you get into Phase Three of OTAs [Organized Team Activities], training camp and as you get into the season, we start narrowing that thing, getting specific from player-specific responsibilities and what not," Moore continued. "Right now, we’re at such a wider lens that we’re really teaching for everyone.”

As Dillon notes, Ekeler's 38 total touchdowns across the past two NFL seasons ranks tops among skill players league-wide. No other running back has logged more than 26 touchdowns in that same timespan. He has notched a total of 52 touchdowns since the start of the 2019 season.