Austin Ekeler Returns to Commanders as RB Depth — SkimNews
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- Austin Ekeler is expected to re-sign with the Commanders pending a physical, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, returning two seasons after first joining Washington
- Ekeler ruptured his Achilles in Week 2 of 2025 and missed five games in 2024 with two concussions, extending a pattern of injury-shortened seasons that also included three missed games in 2023 with the Chargers
- The Commanders view the signing as depth with an uncertain role, and a team source said it is unrelated to a shoulder injury Rachaad White suffered Sunday — though White did return to that game
- Washington's RB room already features White (team-leading 151 scrimmage yards, 51 receiving), Jacory Croskey-Merritt (team-high 142 rushing yards), and rookie Kaytron Allen
- Ekeler earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024 as a kick returner, averaging 31.3 yards on 19 returns, a role that may matter more than his rushing workload in Washington
- In 14 games across his Commanders tenure, Ekeler caught 40 passes for 404 yards and rushed 91 times for 410 yards with four touchdowns, before working out for the Carolina Panthers last week
- Ekeler entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers in 2017 and has totaled 9,053 scrimmage yards and 73 touchdowns across nine seasons
Why it matters: Ekeler joins a backfield that already has three contributors producing — White, Croskey-Merritt, and rookie Allen — meaning his path to snaps likely runs through the kick return game where he earned second-team All-Pro in 2024 rather than as a featured runner. With injuries cutting into each of his past three seasons and an Achilles tear now in his recent history, Washington's bet is on the 2024 version of Ekeler, not the one who topped 1,500 scrimmage yards three times with the Chargers.
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