Austin Ekeler’s rise to the NFL in 2017 involved a beautiful story, and he has been in the league for almost a decade now. But he isn’t currently signed to any team amid a drop in performance and an Achilles tear suffered early in the 2025 season. His future in the league is unclear.
Why Is Austin Ekeler Still Unsigned in 2026?
Ekeler, who recently turned 31, spent the past two years with the Washington Commanders. He was a long-time member of the Los Angeles Chargers, playing for seven seasons with the team, but moved on after Brandon Staley was let go as head coach.
Ekeler is an interesting player. His speed was never a key point in his game, but he was reliable in many ways. Although he never crossed the 1,000-yard mark as a runner, his performance as a receiver made him a valuable piece of the offense, including a season with 92 receptions, 993 yards, and 8 touchdowns with the Chargers in 2019.
As the years passed, however, his impact began to diminish. He had only 3.5 yards per carry for the Chargers in 2023, and the team decided against re-signing him in free agency. A two-year deal with the Washington Commanders saw him improve to 4.8 yards per carry in one of the league’s best rushing offenses, but his volume was down.
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A new facet of his game emerged in 2024. He became the Commanders’ kick returner and impressed, earning his first Second-Team All-Pro nomination. He couldn’t build upon this campaign, though, with a torn Achilles in the second game of 2025, ending his season prematurely.
Everything is against Austin Ekeler’s prospects at this point. He’s already 31, he’s coming from a serious injury, and his peak performance was a long time ago. Although he can offer experience, he plays in a position whose value diminishes quickly, and replacements can be found easily through the late rounds of the draft.
The Commanders can exemplify why it will be hard for him to find a new home ahead of the NFL season. Washington switched offensive coordinators, with David Blough taking over from Kliff Kingsbury.
They also drafted a new running back in the sixth round, and he’ll be taking over a small share of snaps. Rachaad White joined through free agency.
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While it’s impossible to say with certainty that his career is over, finding a spot for Ekeler to play based on his status is difficult. He could sign with a team that might be dealing with injuries midway through the season, but right now, he’s not a hot commodity in the market.
The last year he qualified for our PFSN RB Impact Metric was 2023. He ended the season ranked as No. 44 with an uninspiring 65.8 grade.
