In what was a shocking development for many, it was reported on Monday that Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has requested permission to seek a trade after contract negotiations stalled with the team.
Ekeler carries a $7.75 million cap hit this season and if the Chargers were to trade him they would free up $6.25 million, according to Over the Cap. With Ekeler's struggles running between the tackles last season, it is probably best for the Bolts to try and move on after his agent made this public.
Ekeler has the most touchdowns in the NFL over the last two years and has a relatively doable cap hit with only one year under contact so there will naturally be suitors for him on the market. Some make more sense than others.
4 teams that could trade for Chargers' RB Austin Ekeler:
1. New England Patriots
Austin Ekeler just screams New England Patriot, doesn't he? Shifty receiving backs have made careers out in New England and he would be just the kind of weapon that Mac Jones currently does not have in the offense.
New England has the cap space to make it happen and just picked up an extra late-round pick by trading Jonnu Smith to the Falcons. Instead of signing free agent Damien Harris to a multi-year deal, the Patriots may prefer taking just one year of Ekeler to give Jones a much-needed pass-catching threat.
Ekeler really does seem like the perfect Patriot. They have not been shy in bringing in former Chargers in the past (Adrian Phillips, Hunter Henry and we go way back, Rodney Harrison and Junior Seau). Perhaps Ekeler could be the latest to join that list.
2. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers made headlines during the 2023 season when they traded Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers. Carolina then continued making headlines into the offseason when they traded up from the ninth overall pick to the first overall pick.
Perhaps the team will look to continue making headlines by getting a quality running back on the roster to help ease the transition of their rookie quarterback. With a thin running back class compared to previous years, this might be the best route the Panthers can take for short and long-term success.
D'Onta Foreman isn't really someone who you want to be your RB1 and it is not hard to see how the Panthers could talk themselves into Ekeler. They would be going from one elite pass-catching back to another and would come out net-positive as they would only have to send a fifth or sixth for Ekeler.
If Carolina does not like any of the rookie running backs then it makes more sense to take a short-term flier for their QB's progression rather than signing one of the free-agent running backs to an overpriced, multi-year deal.
And for the Chargers, they would be getting Ekeler as far away from the team as possible, sending him all the way to the NFC South. There would be no worries of Ekeler coming back to haunt the Chargers in a potentially big game.
3. Arizona Cardinals
With all due respect to the Arizona Cardinals, they are a team that has proven in recent years that they are willing to make trades happen for big-name players even if they don't make the most sense. This is the team that traded a first-round pick for Hollywood Brown so they could pay him big money to be the team's WR2.
It looks like the Cardinals may actually be losing star power this offseason as a DeAndre Hopkins trade seems imminent. So what does a team that loves stars do if they are going to lose one of their stars? Trade for another!
The Cardinals definitely have the means to bring in Austin Ekeler and they have the need as well. Right now, the only viable running back in Arizona is James Conner. Conner was fine for them last season but the Cardinals' offense could be much more dynamic if they paired him with a pass-catcher like Ekeler.
This would be a great backfield weapon to give Kyler Murray and would not take the long-term commitment of signing one of the free-agent running backs. It is not hard to talk yourself into Ekeler if you are the Cardinals.
Ekeler's market value is probably a fourth or fifth-round pick but who knows, Arizona loves to overspend and could be the team willing to trade one of its two third-round picks for Ekeler.
4. Tennessee Titans
This is where we get fun and creative. This would be a monumental trade as it would not only include one star running back but it would include two. If the Chargers and Titans were to work out a trade we could see a running back swap.
The Titans are reportedly listening to offers for Derrick Henry and there is some potential there for the two sides to get creative. The main reason for the Titans to move on from Henry is to get off of his $16.3 million cap hit for the 2023 season.
Henry also has two void years at the tail end of his contract that the Titans could get rid of so they don't have to pay that cap hit. The cap hit is not extreme so it wouldn't hamper the Chargers in the future if they want to get aggressive in 2023.
Normally I would never expect the Chargers to make this kind of bold trade because Telesco has never operated like that in the past. However, Telesco has proven this offseason that he is operating like his job is on the line in 2023. With that in mind, we could see the team take a more bold approach with this kind of trade.
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It definitely is the least likely of the bunch but the Chargers have surprised us thus far this offseason so it cannot be ruled out.