At the start of the Chargers’ off-season, the running back room had a question mark hanging over it. With extension talks between the front office and Austin Ekeler stalling in the early spring, many fans and analysts predicted a very different turn of events for the Bolts.
Some thought Ekeler would be traded, others thought the team would draft a running back fairly high, and many thought that Los Angeles would be looking to sign another vet to add depth to the room or even – to replace Ekeler.
We now know that none of these situations panned out, and instead, the team added $1.5 million to Ekeler’s earning potential in 2023 via incentives. But with only one more year on his contract and multiple failed negotiation attempts in the early off-season, the future of Austin Ekeler and the Chargers once the 2023 season is over is still up in the air.
The running back market is low, Ekeler is growing older, and there are always younger backs that can earn their position without breaking the bank.
Enter Isaiah Spiller.
Spiller was selected in the fourth round in the 2022 NFL draft. It was assumed by many fans that Spiller would take on a heavy role behind Ekeler – or at the very least he would be fighting for it during camp with Joshua Kelley. Spiller was able to easily cut through the Rams’ defense in their preseason game leading up to the 2022 regular season. Still, he was then slowed down by injuries which eventually sidelined him for the year. Without these injuries, we could have seen a very different season for Spiller. He entered the league as the youngest player selected from the draft – only 20 years of age. With lots of room for growth and an opportunity to win the RB2 role, there is a lot on the line for him. Ekeler’s future being up in the air is another huge reason for Spiller to break out this year and show the team what he can do for them – possibly proving that he could take on a larger role in the offense if he is capable.
Kellen Moore’s offensive scheme should allow a guy like Spiller to excel. We saw this happen on the Cowboys with Tony Pollard, a fairly unknown running back with a lot of potential who was leaned on while Dak Prescott was injured. Even when Dak returned, Pollard still excelled at his position and earned a franchise tag from the Cowboys with future contract negotiations being up for discussion until July 17th. Moore is quite creative with the way he uses the offensive line, having guards and tackles dance around one another to create blocks for the running back that allow for larger holes and longer carries. With a solid line to work with, we could see Spiller taking on a Pollard-style role, allowing Ekeler to explode through openings and continue to be a strong receiving back target for Herbert. In contrast, Spiller takes on a heavier “tackle-breaking” role – something he excelled at during his college years. Spiller finished his 2021 season with a total of 1200 yards and 7 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. These types of numbers would be a welcome addition to the Chargers’ season since the running game has been an area of difficulty these last several years.
With Kelley having a productive RB2 year last season – minus his injury – it is less likely that Spiller would start the season in the RB2 role. Still, it is very possible that he could earn the position as the season went on and solidify himself as an important role in the offensive structure of the team and in its future. Definitely, someone that you’ll want to keep an eye on.
