Austin Ekeler Trade Rumors: Chargers RB's Desired New Contract 'Could Be Prohibitive'

Trade buzz around Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has been quiet since he reportedly requested a deal on March 13.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, there have been teams interested in acquiring the 27-year-old, but his desire for a new contract "could be prohibitive" to making a deal happen.

Cameron Weiss, Ekeler's agent, told ESPN's Adam Schefter his client requested permission to speak with teams about a trade after preliminary talks with the Chargers about a new contract did not progress.

Ekeler has kept a strong perspective throughout this whole process, even acknowledging he might have to play out his current deal with the Chargers before going into free agency next offseason to get a deal he wants.

"Time will play out. Who knows? We'll see what happens with the draft," Ekeler said during an April 4 appearance on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook). "But it's a situation where, look, if a team wants me in the long term, it's a year where they'll have to give up picks and then also have to renegotiate, so that's kind of playing against us for sure. But we'll see, like I said. Time will tell, and we'll see what happens after the draft," he said. "Look, I guess the worst-case scenario right now out of all of it, I'll come back and I'll have to play for the Chargers for a year and bet on myself and then be a free agent next year."

During the same radio appearance, Ekeler explained he's looking for a team that "wants to sign us for a few years and sees us not just in the immediate future, but a couple years out."

The Chargers signed Ekeler to a four-year, $24.5 million contract in March 2020. He was coming off a 2019 season with 1,550 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.

It's a rough time to be a veteran running back seeking a lucrative long-term contract. The 2023 draft is deep at the position with seven players ranked in the top 100 overall by B/R's NFL scouting department.

Texas' Bijan Robinson and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs could both end up being first-round picks.

Ekeler originally joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of Western State in 2017. He's been one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL over the past four seasons.

The six-year veteran has averaged 80.8 receptions and 691.2 receiving yards per year since the start of 2019. His 323 total receptions over the past four seasons ranks 12th in the NFL.