Commanders: Austin Ekeler’s epic touchdown promise will get fans fired up

Austin Ekeler was introduced as a member of the Washington Commanders on Monday, and he made a bold claim when asked what he brings to the team in his press conference.

“A lot. I’m going to score some touchdowns for you, that’s for sure,” Austin Ekeler said, via John Keim of ESPN. “I’m going to bring some energy. You’re going to hear me at practice, you can hear me in the locker room… You’re going to find me in the weight room pushing people.”

The Commanders signed Ekeler to a two-year, $8.43 million contract in free agency. He is a good receiving back, which could be very helpful to a rookie quarterback. It is widely viewed that the Commanders will select a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, whether that be Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. Ekeler will be a good resource for Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels or another rookie quarterback to lean on in the passing game as a check-down option.

Ekeler’s production dropped in 2023, as theChargers struggled as a whole, resulting in the firing of Brandon Staley. He had 628 rushing yards, down from the previous two seasons in which he had over 900, and 436 receiving yards, according to Pro Football Reference.

It will be interesting to see if Ekeler can rebound. He missed a few weeks in the 2023 season due to injury, and likely played below 100% health for many games.

Regardless of who is under center for the Commanders, whether that be Marcus Mariota, who was brought in as a veteran presence, or a rookie like Maye or Daniels, Ekeler will be a key player in the team’s offense. Kliff Kingsbury will have to figure out how to maximize Ekeler’s abilities in the offense, which should have a lot of new faces coming to key places. We know Kingsbury and Ekeler are two of those faces. We are waiting to find out who the quarterback is.