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Commanders sign RB Austin Ekeler

Mar 18, 2024 at 10:17 AM

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Commanders announced today that they have signed running back Austin Ekeler. Full terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Ekeler (5-10, 200) is an eight-year NFL veteran who entered the league with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. In his career, Ekeler has appeared in 103 games with 68 starts and recorded 990 rushing attempts for 4,355 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, 440 receptions for 3,884 yards and 30 receiving touchdowns. Ekeler is one of just seven players in NFL history to record at least 30 rushing touchdowns and 30 receiving touchdowns in a career. He is the only player in NFL history to accomplish the feat within the first seven seasons of his career.

In 2023, Ekeler played and started in 14 games and recorded 629 rushing yards on 179 attempts and five touchdowns along with 51 receptions for 436 receiving yards and a touchdown. He registered his 30th career receiving score which made him the youngest running back to reach 30 touchdown receptions and is currently the only running back in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to reach 30 receiving touchdowns with the same team.

Ekeler played and started in all 17 games in 2022 and posted a career season-high 915 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns along with recording 107 receptions for 722 yards and five touchdowns. His 18 touchdowns lead the NFL in scrimmage scores and marked the second consecutive year in achieving the feat with 20 in 2021.

From 2017-20, Ekeler appeared in 56 games with 21 starts. He recorded a total of 1,901 rushing yards on 401 attempts with nine touchdowns along with 212 receptions for 2,079 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns.

Ekeler played collegiately at Western State Colorado for four seasons (2013-16) where he totaled 5,857 rushing yards and 55 rushing touchdowns on 932 attempts. He was a four time first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection and became the school's career rushing yards leader as a junior and a candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2015, which is awarded to the top Division-II player. Ekeler was born in Lincoln, Nebraska.

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