The Dallas Cowboys could snag Los Angeles Chargers star running back, Austin Ekeler in free agency next month. The Cowboys are planning to go all in this offseason and they could make a splash by signing the two-time touchdown leader. Ekeler is set to hit free agency and essentially, his tenure is over in Los Angeles. However, the Chargers’ new head coach, Jim Harbaugh said he would love to have Ekeler back next season.
“If things go well, it’s going to be because of our guys like Austin Ekeler and the players. I like Austin Ekeler. We’re going to have a huge emphasis on the run game, and we gotta block better up front. He’s a tremendous back and we’d love to have him on the team next year,” said Harbaugh.
Ekeler was eyeing for a multi-year deal from Los Angeles before the season. He instead winded up signing a revised one-year pact. However, since Harbaugh is cleaning up the old and getting his new staff, he may look elsewhere depending on what Ekeler does. The Cowboys could make the signing happen by offering him $7-8 million on a two-year deal.
It wouldn’t be large money as Dallas still plans to use the NFL Draft to find their next franchise running back. With this, it looks like the Tony Pollard days may be done. Pollard is also set for free agency next month, but he still wants to remain with the team. However, Ekeler made it seem like he played in his final regular-season game with the Chargers.
Dallas Cowboys Could Snag Los Angeles Chargers Star Running Back Austin Ekeler
Could He Land in Dallas?
The truth is once Ekeler hits free agency, he’s going to be one of the top available running backs. The market is going to be competitive and he could receive a huge payday on a new team. Ekeler has options on the table, but so does Dallas. It’ll depend on what Ekeler really wants at the end of the day.
It’s either he wants a huge payday or he’ll eventually want to land with a contender that has a huge chance to go to the promised. The Cowboys are one of those promising places to land in so he may be intrigued. However, Dallas could bring back Pollard on another franchise tag for next season. It’s unlikely that it will happen since Ekeler could be on their radar and would look in free agency for more options.
The problem is that Pollard wasn’t very efficient in his production this past season. Pollard was averaging 4.0 yards per carry and he struggled in short-yardage and goal-line situations. On the other hand, Ekeler has excelled in those areas and the Cowboys could opt to snag the star running back. There’s still a variety of options for Dallas for the free agency like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and D’Andre Swift.
How He Could Fit With the Cowboys’ Offense
In 2023, Ekeler ran for just 628 yards on 179 carries with five rushing touchdowns and 52 receptions for 436 receiving yards. He led back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 in NFL touchdowns but has never been named to a Pro Bowl. Controversy was beginning and Ekeler wasn’t pleased with the NFL. Also, despite that, he never got the large contract extension he wanted after talks shut down in April.
It looks like it was time for a change for Ekeler. Under the new spotlight, he could finally get more touches and a better contract with America’s team.
