Austin Ekeler explains why he chose Commanders over Packers and a top Super Bowl contender in the AFC

For the running back position, free agency was much, much different in 2024 than what we saw last year.

In 2023, we saw guys like Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley, and Josh Jacobs exit their rookie deals, yet all of them got hit with the franchise tag (Barkley's and Jacobs' tags were later converted to one-year deals), thus placing all the power in the hands of their respective teams, at the time. The dramatic market shift and reluctance to sign guys to long-term deals that also properly demonstrated their value even led to a private meeting, held by Austin Ekeler in late July, to discuss potential countermoves or strategies for the future. 

This year, the top-6 RB free agents all agreed to terms with new teams on the first day of the legal tampering period - before free agency had officially started. All of the top options were taken off the market by the second day of the legal tampering period after Derrick Henry signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

And as it turned out, Ekeler was part of the group that signed on Day 1. He had plenty of interest, too. Per his account, six teams were interested in acquiring his services for the 2024 season.

"There were, like, six [teams] that were generally interested on the first day... it's a huge shuffle, man," Ekeler said on the most recent episode of the God Bless Football podcast. "The first day that we were able to actually have that conversation with teams, we saw it you [and] you guys saw it - the running backs were going like crazy. So, it was like a frenzy of who can snag some of our guys going into our second and third contracts...

"But the [teams] that we felt were most interested in [terms of] the best fit, as far as 'Hey, Austin, what [do] you want out of your career, at this point?' was Washington. [It] ended up working out for itself, as well. And then we ended up plugging the gap over there for them."

And ultimately, the Commanders offered Ekeler something he was looking for, in particular: another effective back he could team up with in order to create an effective tandem. Much like the Commanders' own Brian Robinson. 

"I was looking for someone who had a back that's solid [and] that's [already] there," said Ekeler. "That I can come in, and also complement, and we can really bounce this thing off of each other, as far as our production. That's what I felt [was] best and that's what I was looking for. It ended up being with Washington. That's why it kind of played itself out, because that's what I was looking for and that's what they were also looking for out of me, as well."

Ekeler's fresh start coincides perfectly with the Commanders' fresh start, as a whole

Ekeler has played for the Chargers his entire NFL career, so not only is he playing for a different team for the first time, he's doing it in the one of the more dramatic ways, possible, by relocating across the country. 

The change is welcomed, as is the new regime of controlling owner Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters, and head coach Dan Quinn. The aforementioned leaders are all at the forefront of what is a new era in Washington and the hope is the trio can wipe the stench that's permeated throughout the franchise for the last 20+ years.

"I'm looking forward to the adjustment of just trying something new in my life," said Ekeler. "... I'm kind of kind of taking it on with, like, a lot of just forward-looking, I guess, affirmations for myself. Where it's like, [a] new opportunity to be back on the field. [A] new organization, new coaches, new culture - let's try to immerse myself in this and take it on as what it is. It's a new challenge for me and see if I can make as much as I can with this one, as I did with my other."

Washington is in for quite the treat if Ekeler can make as much as he can with this opportunity like he did in San Diego/LA. Since he became a full-time starter in 2021, Ekeler has recorded the fourth-most yards from scrimmage (4,259), he leads the NFL with 44 total touchdowns, he has the second-most first downs (87), and he's 17th and 18th in rushing and receiving success rate, respectively, out of the 51 qualifying running backs with at least 318 total touches.

He has a familiar face to help him sustain that production in new Commanders run game coordintaor/runnings back coach, Anthony Lynn. Lynn was the Chargers head coach from 2017-2020 and was not only responsible for bringing Ekeler in as an undrafted free agent, but he helped develop him into the player he is today.

"In sports, you never really want to be too comfortable," said Ekeler. "I think what what [coach] Lynn did a lot was keep pressure on us as players when he was our head coach [for the Chargers]. It's gonna be a little bit different, because now, he's in the room with me and he's not the head coach anymore.

"... He still has the same demeanor, still has that same seriousness about him when he's talking about the sport. So, I'm looking forward to being in his room - not necessarily comfortable, but being being pushed. I want to be coached and I know he's going to do that."

The Commanders have brought in a guy who not only has shown an elite ability to make plays in both the passing game and run game, but an outstanding person and teammate. Ekeler will help Quinn and the rest of the coaching staff set the culture and tone needed to bring the franchise back to respectability, at the end of the day.