NFL 2022: Biggest contract bargain at every position
Biggest NFL contract bargain at RB: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Average annual value: $6.125 million (13th among RBs)
Los Angeles Chargers. AFC West. Austin Ekeler. Pick Analysis. RB. player. 13. Scouting Report
Starting this exercise, I felt like it was going to actually be tough to find a true bargain at the running back position.
It wasn’t.
Austin Ekeler may not be a traditional, bruising back who carries the ball 300 times per year.
What he is is one of the league’s most valuable three-down threats and one of the best at putting the ball in the end zone.
For an average of just over $6 million per season, the Los Angeles Chargers have a player that just scored 20 touchdowns and racked up over 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2021.
When healthy, Ekeler provides insane value to the Chargers’ offense.
In his last two fully healthy seasons (2021, 2019), Ekeler has combined for 31 total touchdowns and over 3,000 yards from scrimmage.
He’s so difficult to defend and he’s so slippery in the open field.
The Chargers are poised to take a big leap in the 2022 NFL season and Ekeler, a vastly underrated player overall, is a major reason why.