The Washington Commanders are adding a familiar name back into the mix after their first win of the season.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Commanders are expected to sign free-agent running back Austin Ekeler one day after Washington stunned the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Ekeler, 31, spent the past two seasons in Washington and saw his stint there interrupted by injuries. He tore his Achilles in the Commanders’ Week 2 game at Green Bay last season.
In 2024, he appeared in 12 games, rushing for 367 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He also added 35 receptions for 366 yards and handled kickoff returns at better than 31 yards per attempt.
In two games last season, Ekeler rushed for 43 yards and caught five passes for 38 yards.
Before arriving in Washington, Ekeler spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he built his reputation as one of the league’s premier pass-catching backs. With Los Angeles, he caught 440 passes for 3,884 yards and 30 touchdowns, and he also ran for 4,355 yards and 39 scores.
The injury issues have piled up over the last three seasons. Ekeler missed three games in 2023 with the Chargers, then five games with Washington in 2024 after suffering two separate concussions.
He now steps into a Washington backfield that includes Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White and Kaytron Allen. Jeremy McNichols is still on injured reserve for the Commanders.
Ekeler was with the Carolina Panthers last week and is fully cleared.
In Other News...
Commanders First Win Already Comes With Two Major Roster Questions
The Commanders got the kind of early-season result that can steady a locker room, knocking off the Seahawks and ending Seattles 12-game winning streak. It was also the first chance to see how this roster might hold together after the opener, and Washington wasted no time making a move by signing running back Austin Ekeler to the 53-man roster.
Leo Chenals situation adds a much heavier layer to the celebration. The linebacker suffered a neck injury during the game, had successful surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season, leaving Washington with an immediate hole to address on defense even as it tries to build on a win that should have felt like a clean starting point. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Taking A Real Risk With Jayden Daniels Now
Washington is choosing the short-term path with Jayden Daniels, and that alone tells you how much the Commanders still believe this season is alive. General manager Adam Peters said Daniels will not be placed on injured reserve after dislocating his left elbow again, with the team expecting him back in about three weeks. It is a notable call for a club that has already leaned on its rookie quarterback heavily, and it comes after Washington consulted multiple doctors before settling on a plan that keeps the door open for a quick return.
The decision also underscores just how much risk the Commanders are willing to absorb for the chance to keep Daniels on the field. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that surgery is likely after the season, but Daniels is putting that off so he can continue playing, a choice that has drawn some concern from NFL executives around the league. For Washington, the calculation is obvious: preserve the present, even if the future carries a heavier cost. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Mike Sainristil Problem In The Secondary
Mike Sainristils role in the Commanders secondary took an unusual hit in Week 3, when he was on the field for just 38.8 percent of Washingtons defensive snaps, the lowest workload of his pro career. The staff leaned more heavily on other corners, including Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas and Fabian Moreau, which was a notable shift for a defender who has been part of the conversation in the back end since arriving in Washington.
The timing makes the situation more complicated, because Trey Amos is expected to come back from injured reserve and could add another body to an already crowded cornerback picture. Washingtons coaches have also been open about their concerns with Sainristils performance and consistency, so his place in the rotation now feels far less secure than it did earlier in the season. [Read more 🡒]