The rumors spreading regarding this aspect of the issue are definitely true. Adam Schefter, a reliable source, broke the news. Some speculations, however, claim that Austin Ekeler and his agency called the Chicago Bears first, or at least one other team, before contacting any other teams. I have to wonder if Austin Ekeler’s agent and he were going through an alphabetical list of teams when the Chicago Bears popped up and Ekeler showed interest. I don’t know if I would be a big fan of trading for Ekeler. I don’t want to minimize Austin Ekeler’s talent as a player. He has amassed 1,826 yards in rushing and 1,369 yards in receiving over the past two years. He is a homerun hitter who also has scored 38 total touchdowns over that same two-year timeframe. Of course, having him in this offense would only benefit Justin Fields. However, I simply don’t see Fields providing him the 80+ targets every year he needs to stay relevant. He may see as many as 50 to 60 targets, at maximum. Moreover, Ekeler will soon turn 28. Given that his contract only has one year left, he is essentially a rental player. He makes $6.25 million as his base pay. The Bears want to construct for both the present and the future. It just seems that Austin Ekeler does not meet that description. It makes more sense to just draft a running back in April if it will cost a fourth-round pick or higher, which is what I anticipate they will do no matter what.Chargers granted permission to RB Austin Ekeler today to seek a trade after the two sides failed to make progress for a new contract, per his agent Cameron Weiss.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2023
