Chargers News: Analyst Doesn't See Austin Ekeler's Trade Request Ending As a 'Pretty Picture'
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I have said it before and I'll say it again, I truly believe that this whole Austin Ekeler situation is going to have a negative effect on the Los Angeles Chargers' locker room should he wind back up on the squad next season.
And I'm not even talking about if LA doesn't pay him and he just doesn't get traded because he'll obviously be upset. But I believe even if he does, it'll be hard for his teammates to not look at him a little differently for the lengths he went this offseason to get that contract.
More and more fans are starting to realize that Ekeler is hurting his own stock by doing this. The risk of injury without a long-term contract is always there and that is his biggest fear but it's clear teams are not looking to pay the 27-year-old more than what he's making right now. There's still some solid running back's available right now like Ezekiel Elliot and he hasn't even been signed yet because he probably wants too much as well.
NFL analyst Craig Mish joined a segment of News Wire and gave his thoughts on why he predicts that these conversations between Ekeler and the franchise will not end well.
"The hard part about this is times have changed so much and the running back position is not valued financially," said Mish. "So even with Ekeler being as valuable as he is to the Chargers, I don't see a pretty picture painted out of this."
(Via Sports Grid)
The Chargers will need some firm answers soon seeing that the NFL draft is just a couple of weeks away. It is really going to come down to keep Ekeler and prioritize selecting a different position first or go all-in with a new running back.