Austin Ekeler isn’t hiding the appeal of a Las Vegas return.
The veteran running back, recently cleared from the torn Achilles that ended his 2025 season in April, said he’s looking to latch on with a team and continue his career in 2026. And in a recent interview with Las Vegas 8 News Now’s Madyson Marie, he made it clear which destination stands out.
“Now being in my hometown [Las Vegas], would be a dream for my family,” Ekeler said. “Is the situation right?
We’ll have to see. How is [Ashton] Jeanty feeling?
Do they need another guy?”
Ekeler also laid out exactly how he sees his role if he does find another landing spot. He isn’t pitching himself as a feature back, but as a situational weapon who can help in key moments.
“Because if I’m on a team, I’m going to be your third-down back. I want to be your two-minute guy.
I want to be protecting your quarterback in passing situations. That’s where I’m best.
I can still run the ball, I can return kicks. If that presents itself, sure.
If not, it’s all good.”
Ekeler, 30, entered the league as an undrafted player out of Western State in 2017. He finished the last year of his three-year contract before agreeing to a four-year, $24.5 million deal that included $15 million guaranteed, putting him on track to become a restricted free agent.
He earned a base salary of $6,250,000 in the 2023 season, then became an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and signed a two-year deal with the Commanders.
In 2025, Ekeler played in two games for Washington and finished with 43 rushing yards on 14 carries, plus five catches for 38 yards.
In Other News...
Raiders QB Plan Already Comes With One Big Problem
The Raiders have already settled on their quarterback plan for 2026, putting Kirk Cousins at the top of the depth chart over rookie Fernando Mendoza and Aidan OConnell. Klint Kubiaks decision leans heavily on Cousins experience and leadership, a sensible enough place to start for a team trying to steady itself and avoid another season of uncertainty under center.
But the choice still comes with an obvious catch for Las Vegas, because the biggest question around the offense may not be who is taking the snaps so much as who is keeping the pocket intact. If the offensive line continues to be an issue, the case for Mendoza as the longer-term answer only gets stronger, and the Raiders could find themselves weighing present-day stability against a future built on better protection. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Offense Suddenly Has One Touches Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Raiders head into 2026 with an offense that looks very different from the one fans have been sorting through for the past few seasons, and the roster changes give this group a very different kind of ceiling. Kirk Cousins brings the passing-game structure, Brock Bowers remains the kind of weapon defenses have to account for on every snap, and Ashton Jeanty adds a layer of backfield power that can shape how the whole unit is used. Add in young pass-catchers like Tre Tucker and Malik Benson, plus Mike Washington Jr. as another name to watch in the mix, and there are enough moving parts here to make the offense feel loaded with possibilities.
What makes it interesting is how tightly all of those roles may connect once the season starts. If Cousins is throwing at a steady clip, Bowers and the receivers can feed off that volume, while Jeantys workload could determine how balanced or pass-heavy the offense becomes from week to week. For bettors looking at individual markets, that creates a familiar Raiders question with a new cast: which player is actually set up to get the touches that matter most, and which one is going to be left waiting for opportunity? [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Offensive Staff Overhaul Says Everything About Last Seasons Problems
The Raiders changes on offense say plenty about how the organization felt about last seasons problems, especially up front. Las Vegas struggled with its offensive line in 2025, and internal sources described the coaching there as among the worst they had seen, a stinging assessment that helps explain why the team moved quickly to reset that side of the ball.
Rick Dennison arrives as the new offensive line coach for 2026, with the expectation that he can bring cleaner fundamentals and better technique to a unit that badly needed both. The overhaul did not stop there, either, as the Raiders also upgraded at quarterbacks coach by hiring Mike Sullivan, whose long NFL background and prior working relationship with offensive coordinator Kubiak should give the staff more continuity as it tries to stabilize the offense. [Read more 🡒]