Chargers' Jim Harbaugh Praises 'Tremendous' Austin Ekeler: 'We'd Love to Have Him'

Veteran running back Austin Ekeler has a new ally within the Los Angeles Chargers in the form of newly hired head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Speaking Saturday to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, Harbaugh praised Ekeler and discussed his desire for the impending free agent to return to the team in 2024:

"If things go well, it's going to be because of guys like Austin Ekeler and the players. I like Austin Ekeler. We're going to have a huge emphasis on the run game, and we gotta block better up front. He's a tremendous back and we'd love to have him on the team next year. But yeah, things go well, it's kind of because of all the players. If it goes bad, it's because I'm a bad manager, I'm a bad coach."

There seems to be mutual respect already between Ekeler and Harbaugh, as Ekeler shared some of the positive things he heard about Harbaugh and gave him some advice while speaking to the AP:

"I've heard great things about him. I've heard about he's a culture-starter, which is exactly what that team needs. My message for Jim if I'm on that team or not on that team is to make sure we're holding ourselves to a high standard and the culture is about holding ourselves accountable and holding other players accountable because I think that was lacking last year."

Ekeler also discussed his situation with ESPN's Field Yates, providing some insight into his status as an upcoming free agent:

The 28-year-old veteran said that while he would "love" to be back with the Chargers, he is keeping his options open and will consider any number of factors when it comes to potential landing spots, including the culture and his role.

After racking up 1,558 total yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021, followed by 1,637 total yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022, expectations were huge for Ekeler in 2023.

However, ankle injuries caused him to miss three games and limited him in others, and he finished with just 1,064 total yards and six touchdowns.

The Chargers struggled mightily as a whole as well, going just 5-12 and missing the playoffs after reaching the postseason in 2022.

Injuries played a role, as Ekeler and wide receiver Keenan Allen missed time, wide receiver Mike Williams missed nearly the entire season and quarterback Justin Herbert missed the final month.

Ekeler should have plenty of options at his disposal based on what he accomplished in 2021 and 2022, and while a return to L.A. is far from guaranteed, the arrival of Harbaugh could potentially help instill the type of culture Ekeler is looking for.