Chargers News: Breaking Down Austin Ekeler's Contract Comments, What Is His Future?

A lot to take in for Chargers fans.

Being a professional athlete is one of those careers that can have you sitting on top of the world one day and then crashing all the way down come the next. This is a tough reality that is solely based on health and performance. A player can be stringing together the best stretch of their life but one injury can jeopardize their future in their respective leagues just like that.

In the NFL, we have seen this numerous times and teams are left paying players that they believed would play key roles for sitting out and rehabbing. This is why it is super important for guys to capitalize off of their best years right away and the latest example of this is Austin Ekeler of your Los Angeles Chargers.

Over the past three seasons, Ekeler has stamped his place in the league as one of the most consistent running back's. The 27-year-old managed the bulk of the position's responsibility for LA as he recorded 915 yards and really only had help from Joshua Kelly. His current contract has him remaining with the Bolts until 2024 but he has made it clear that he wants a longer deal with more money.

Both the front office and Ekeler have different visions for his future with the team so he has explored potential franchises that could trade for him. Nothing has come about yet and Ekeler recently joined Chris Long on his Greenlight podcast to shed some light on what his future is looking like right now.

#Chargers’ RB Austin Ekeler speaks in detail on his frustrations with his current contract and trade request on the @greenlightpod with Chris Long:

“I feel like there’s no timeline on this. I’m so underpaid right now as far as my contract and what I contribute to the team, I am… pic.twitter.com/QP6agGsUrw

— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) March 21, 2023

Ekeler took a deep-dive into his mindset during this free agency period and got brutally honest about his feelings towards the Chargers after their initial offers. Let's break down his most important answers in this interview !

"It's not like 'Oh I hate the Chargers and I need to get out of this organization and I need to leave'," said Ekeler. "That couldn't be further from the truth. I would like to stay if it was under the right circumstances... I'm so excited to come back, I'm ready to go score another 20 TD's for this organization. Get us back to the playoffs because we have some unfinished business, I've got 27-0 on my mind."

(Via Greenlight Podcast)

This is probably the most important quote that LA fans should be paying attention to. They haven't been very happy considering Ekeler's silence and cryptic social media behavior but he is now coming forward and directly confirming he wants to be part of the Bolts as long as the team respects his money wishes.

"I want a team that wants me long-term," said Ekeler. "I'm at the peak of my game, I'm going to score you another 20 touchdowns. As long as I'm healthy, I'm going to score 20 touchdowns, I'm going to have 1,600 all-purpose yards. I'm getting half my value of what I can be getting so I am relentlessly pursuing someone who wants me." 

(Via Greenlight Podcast)

There is not much backlash you can send Ekeler's way for wanting his biggest contract after having the best seasons of his career. It is unfortunate the Chargers have already filled up their payrolls and also will have to start preparing to extend their main superstar in Justin Herbert very soon.

"It's brutal out here man, it's terrible as far as the RB market and how we're getting treated right now," said Ekeler. "What do we got to do to get paid as RBs to our actual values?"

(Via Greenlight Podcast)

Free agency announcements have been very interesting and have caught many fans off guard. Multiple talented players, including running backs, have been taking deals that are smaller and consist of less years than previously expected. This has definitely had a negative impact on Ekeler's pursuit of an extension.

Hopefully all gets resolved with Ekeler's situation soon, whether he remains a Charger or not. He is far too talented to remain unsure of where he'll suiting up and LA will be able to focus on their upcoming season.