NFL Rumors: Chargers Running Back Should Be Available for Week 9

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was a surprise absence at Wednesday's practice and was listed as limited for Thursday's session due to an abdomen injury, but fans apparently don't have anything to worry about. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Chargers are simply being cautious with their star.

Sounds like just being cautious with Austin Ekeler. https://t.co/OFemD89cQ4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2022

Ekeler played a typical amount of snaps in Week 7's 37-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and accounted for 21 total touches. The Chargers are coming off a Week 8 bye, so Ekeler hasn't seen the field since then.

Given the regression of third-year quarterback Justin Herbert, Ekeler has been arguably the Chargers' best player through seven games. The sixth-year back has accounted for a team-high 737 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns, and his 53 receptions put him on pace for 129 over 17 games, which would be a record for a running back.

Ekeler joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. He quickly emerged as one of the league's deadliest receivers out of the backfield, accounting for an incredible 3083 receiving yards over his 79 appearances with the team. He's coming off arguably his best season, tallying a career-high 1558 yards from scrimmage and finishing tied for first in the league with 20 total touchdowns in 2021.