Chargers' Austin Ekeler: '99 Percent' Chance I'll Return from Injury for Cowboys Game

The Los Angeles Chargers are riding the momentum of back-to-back wins heading into their Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys, and now there's even more good news coming their way.

Chargers star running back Austin Ekeler told reporters on Tuesday that there's a "99 percent" chance that he will be back for the Monday Night Football matchup after missing the last three games with an ankle sprain.

Ekeler suffered the injury in Los Angeles' season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins. He was in the midst of a stellar performance prior to going down, racking up 117 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries and adding four catches for 47 yards.

The 28-year-old veteran has been one of the most durable running backs in the league over the past few years, playing in all 17 games in 2022 and playing 16 games the year before that. He's in the midst of the final year of his contract, so it will be important for him to continue performing at a high level if he hopes to earn a big payday when he becomes a free agent.

Without Ekeler in the lineup, the Chargers have been forced to rely more on quarterback Justin Herbert. The 25-year-old has thrown for 1,106 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception while completing 71.0 percent of his passes, and he also leads the team with three rushing touchdowns. Joshua Kelley has seen the bulk of the workload out of the backfield in Ekeler's absence, but he only has 207 yards and one score on 57 carries.

Los Angeles bounced back from an 0-2 start to the season with wins against the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders before their Week 5 bye.

The Chargers will face a tough test against a Cowboys defense that ranks fifth in the league with 292.0 yards allowed per game, so having Ekeler back on the field will surely help take the pressure off of Herbert.