Chargers RB Austin Ekeler says trade request is strictly business

Austin Ekeler wants to be paid what he believes he’s worth, and that’s a good deal more than he’ll make in the final season of a four-season, $24.5-million contract extension he signed with the Chargers on March 16, 2020. He’s eligible for a new extension, and he believes he’s earned it.

Ekeler, a running back who led the NFL in touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, made his first public comments since asking and receiving permission from the Chargers last week to seek trade opportunities. He sought to clarify his position and his desire to make what he says he’s worth.

“I think it’s really important to put it out there that it’s not like, ‘Oh, I hate the Chargers and I need to get out of this organization and I need to leave,’” Ekeler told former NFL player Chris Long on Long’s podcast Monday. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. I would like to stay if it was under the right circumstances.

“Obviously, I have one more year on my contract there, so I’m contractually obligated to play for them this upcoming year. So, we’re in a situation where it’s like, ‘Look, we have no guarantees or anything like that this year.’ So, (I’m) kind of in a spot where I’ve been outplaying my contract, and we might have an opportunity to go seek out other options that can bring me up (financially).”

Ekeler, 27, led the Chargers with 915 yards rushing and 107 receptions (for 722 yards) this past season, his sixth with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent from Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. He had 18 touchdowns one season after scoring 20, leading the NFL both years.

When negotiations on a contract extension reportedly fizzled in recent weeks, Ekeler asked the Chargers for permission to seek a trade. The Chargers granted his wish and then moved ahead with free-agent signings that included linebacker Eric Kendricks and right tackle Trey Pipkins III.

Ekeler is set to earn $6.25 million in the final year of his current contract, making him the only the 14th-highest paid running back in the league based on average salary per season. Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers tops the list with an average of more than $16 million per year.

McCaffrey gained 1,139 yards rushing and caught 85 passes this past season, joining the 49ers after a trade with the Carolina Panthers after Week 6.

Ekeler’s 107 catches last season were the second-most by a running back in NFL history, trailing only McCaffrey’s league record of 116 receptions while with the Panthers during the 2019 season.

“I feel like there’s no timeline on it,” Ekeler said of an artificial trade deadline. “I’m so underpaid right now as far as my contract and what I contribute to the team, it’s like, I’m relentlessly pursuing this (deal). I want to get something long-term done. I want a team that wants me long-term. Because I’m at the peak of my game, right? As long as I’m healthy, I’m going to score another 20 touchdowns. I’m going to have another 1,600 all-purpose yards. I’m getting half my value of what I could be getting.

“I’m relentlessly pursuing someone who wants me for the long term.”

“It literally has nothing to do with the relationship (with the Chargers),” he said. “I’ve made great relationships there. Grown there. That’s where I started, right? So, I want to be there, but on the right terms. Because I know, look, I can’t play forever. I think I can play for a long time – just the way I play and the way I treat myself and my mentality. There’s not a lot of 5-foot-9 running backs doing what I’m doing, and there’s a reason behind that that’s mostly (mental), and I’ve been able to skirt the injury bug.

“It’s like, if there’s an opportunity to get more value, then why would you not jump on that? Why would you not go and at least try out the options? And worst-case scenario – it’s not even a worst-case, really – but, OK, go play on the last year of your deal in L.A., then become a free agent?”