Austin Ekeler wasted no time in making his presence felt for the Washington Commanders. The veteran running back felt this was a tremendous landing spot once things soured with the Los Angeles Chargers before free agency. His involvement is less, but the impact remains the same.
Ekeler is a player who relishes the big occasion. The brighter the lights, the better he performs. That's been the case throughout his glittering career and shows no signs of slowing down in a different environment.
Just why things couldn't get worked out between Ekeler and the Chargers is obvious. Jim Harbaugh wanted a bell-cow backfield force capable of accumulating 20-30 touches per game. That's not where the former undrafted free agent is at right now with so much tread on the tires. Landing with the Commanders - a team with an already established running back in place - allowed him to focus on being a complimentary presence capable of producing the goods when called upon.
This has been a tremendous help to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels so far. Ekeler laid down a marker early in this one, going into the end-zone from 24 yards for a rushing touchdown to show the Chargers exactly what they're missing.
Keeping Ekeler fresh and firing on all cylinders is at the forefront of Washington's mind. Kliff Kingsbury is picking his spots with the Colorado State product. It's a strategy that's bearing fruit in the most positive way imaginable so far.
The Chargers are riding with J.K. Dobbins, who's made a good start to the campaign. But one could forgive Harbaugh for looking at Ekeler's influence in Washington and not think they should have done more to keep him around.
Their loss is the Commanders' gain. Ekeler will be counted upon heavily on the field and lead by example in the locker room. It's still early days, but this looks like being a sound investment by general manager Adam Peters.
