Chargers News: New FA List Has Austin Ekeler Landing With AFC West Rival

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NFL free agency is less than three weeks away, and there are a ton of top-notch free agents ready to hit the open market,

The Chargers have a flurry of their own, whether unrestricted or restricted. One of L.A.’s most prominent free agents is their seven-year running back, Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler is set to be a free agent come March 13th, and the likelihood of him returning to Los Angeles looks bleak.

His next destination is a mystery. However, ESPN staff writer Matt Bowen believes Ekeler’s best fit is with L.A.’s division rival and back-to-back Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.

“With Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon heading to free agency, the Chiefs could sign Ekeler on a short-term deal to work in rotation with Isiah Pacheco,” writes Bowen. “He would give coach Andy Reid a pass-game threat out of 21 personnel with the ability to flex from the backfield. Ekeler caught 51 passes last season with the Chargers and has 440 receptions in his career.”

^{-Matt Bowen, via ESPN}

Losing Ekeler would sting; however, losing him to your division rival—especially the Chiefs would be tough to come back from.

Ekeler is coming off what could possibly be the worst season of his career due to injury. When healthy, we’re all familiar with how lethal he could be. In 2022, his last healthy season, the 28-year-old was a force to be reckoned with.

He had a career-high 1637 total scrimmage yards, 18 total touchdowns, 13 on the ground, and five through the air, and rushed for 4.5 yards per attempt. Ekeler was a machine, and although he looked slow this past year, you still don’t want him going to a rival like the Chiefs.

The last thing the Bolts and the AFC West need is for the Chiefs to have another weapon alongside Travis Kecle and Patrick Mahomes.

A return to L.A. doesn’t look like it’s in the cards. But if Ekeler stays in the AFC West and joins Kansas City, that’ll be a scary sight for everyone else in the league, especially the Chargers.