Austin Ekeler never quite fit the traditional profile of a feature back—he never topped 1,000 rushing yards in a season—but he carved out a different kind of value with the Chargers as a true dual-threat who could hurt defenses as a runner or a receiver. Undrafted out of Western State in 2017, he made the roster as a reserve and special-teams contributor, then gradually worked his way into a larger role. By his third season, he was starting eight games and finishing with more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage, using quickness, vision, and reliable hands to turn short throws and modest holes into productive gains.

Injuries limited him to 10 games in 2020, but he bounced back in a big way over the next two years. In 2021 and 2022, he led the NFL in total touchdowns while combining for nearly 3,200 yards from scrimmage, splitting time between the ground and the passing game and scoring regularly in both. He was especially dangerous on screens and check-downs, where his burst after the catch turned modest targets into big gains, and he remained a capable between-the-tackles runner when the Chargers needed him to grind out yards. The production made him one of the more reliable offensive weapons on the roster even without the gaudy single-season rushing totals that usually define the position.

The numbers dropped in 2023, when he finished with 1,064 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. After that season, he left for the Washington Commanders. Across his seven years with the Chargers, he compiled roughly 8,200 yards from scrimmage and 69 touchdowns, production that came from a balanced mix of rushing and receiving work.

He never earned a Chargers Hall of Fame induction, but the undrafted back who arrived as a long shot and became a consistent dual-threat scorer remains one of the franchise’s more productive offensive pieces in recent years.