4 teams that may sign Austin Ekeler after leaving the Chargers

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are not on the same tier as the Chiefs and Bengals when it comes to being a Super Bowl contender. You can even make the case that the Chargers will have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl next season if the offseason goes well. All that being said, Houston would be a solid place for Ekeler to play.

The Texans are still a playoff contender and might just be the favorites to win the AFC South for the second season in a row. C.J. Stroud is the real deal and the Texans have the cap space to build on the already-talented, young roster.

Adding a veteran running back like Ekeler should be high on the Texans' priority list this offseason. Dameon Pierce had a bad sophomore season for the Texans and while it is too early to give up on the young running back, he should be getting help with a veteran.

Because the team has Pierce, it does not need to spend as much on a bigger name like Jacobs or Saquon Barkley. Instead, the Texans could accomplish the same feat by signing the fourth or fifth-highest paid running back this offseason, which would be Ekeler.

Ekeler would complement Pierce nicely in Houston and would give the Texans a 1-2 punch that could run the ball (assuming Pierce turns it around) and produce in the passing game. Pierce doesn't have much of a pass-catching game, which makes Ekeler such a smart fit for the team.

Plus, if money is what Ekeler is after then he can benefit from signing with a team that has no state income tax. That is also in the conversation when it comes to Ekeler.