Chargers RB Austin Ekeler To Return In Week 6

For the first time since the regular season opener, the Chargers will have their top running back available. Austin Ekeler is off the team’s Week 6 injury report, meaning he will suit up on Monday night.

Ekeler suffered an ankle injury in Week 1, leading to his first stretch of missed games since 2021. His absence dealt a blow to the Chargers’ ground game and left the team’s offense without one of its most important contributors. Especially with wideout Mike Williams out for the year, Ekeler’s pass-catching prowess will be welcomed as Los Angeles looks to come off the bye with a strong performance.

Despite missing the past three games, Ekeler is still the team’s second-leading rusher with 117 yards. That illustrates the significance of his return, though backup Joshua Kelley has had noteworthy games as a first-teamer as well. As a result, the Chargers sit in the middle of the pack with respect to rushing yards per game (120). That figure nevertheless has the potential to increase with Ekeler back in the fold.

The 28-year-old had a contentions offseason as he sought out a raise from his existing pact, which is set to expire in March. Ekeler’s 39 total touchdowns since the start of the 2021 campaign lead the league, and he has surpassed 1,500 scrimmage yards three times since 2019. No serious trade suitors emerged after his request to be moved went public, though, and he ultimately agreed to a reworked pact which upped his potential earnings for this season.

Ekeler’s incentives are tied to a Pro Bowl nod along with yardage and touchdown benchmarks. Reaching them will be more difficult given his missed time, but he will resume his endeavor to land a lucrative new contract in 2024 free agency – and in doing so buck the trend at the running back spot – against the Cowboys in primetime. How much of a workload he handles (and the effects on Kelley’s playing time and that of the team’s other complimentary backs) in his return will be interesting to see.