Commander Country

Chargers RB Austin Ekeler Seeking Trade; Commanders Interested?

The Washington Commanders are having a busy offseason. Is trading for Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler also in the cards?

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

There could be trouble on the horizon for the Los Angeles Chargers.

According to ESPN, Pro Bowl running back Austin Ekeler is seeking a trade after being denied a contract extension by the Chargers.

Ekeler, who turns 28 this offseason, had 1,637 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns (13 rushing, five receiving). As one of the most complete running backs in the league, a trade sending him out of Los Angeles would certainly shake up the league.

But could Austin Ekeler's final destination be with the Washington Commanders?

The team would certainly improve if Ekeler came to the Commanders, but the fit isn't seamless. The Commanders do have Antonio Gibson on the final year of his contract, but that's why the team drafted Brian Robinson Jr. in the third round of the draft last year.

Robinson ran for 797 yards in just 12 games, proving he can be a true RB1 someday. Adding Ekeler would ruin that progress.

The Commanders also just signed Daron Payne to a huge extension and have Montez Sweat and potentially Chase Young on deck for the next big payday, so taking a detour and handing out big money to a running back would compromise the future of someone else ready for an upcoming extension.

All of this for a position the team doesn't need seems like a lot. In a perfect Madden franchise world, you make this happen. Unfortunately, this isn't fantasy football.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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