Austin Ekeler Watch - Ankle Injury

[Mike FF Today 608]

 

[wolves111 69]

51 minutes ago, Mike FF Today said:

 

Maybe knowing he’s getting his walking papers after this season is making it hurt a whole lot worse 

[Da_Bears 14]

Bring on Joshua Kelley!

[Mike FF Today 608]

Hmmm...

 

[Einstein's Dog 20]

And so it begins....missed today's practice.  If it happened on the play I saw, the Chargers put him back in for 3 or 4 more plays afterwards.

My Ekeler scenario (as a J Kelley proponent) thinks he is getting his ankle checked out by his own doctor.   A disgruntled Ekeler probably will not play hurt like he says he did in 2022.  Decent chance IMO this becomes a case of the dreaded sprained ankle.

J Kelley looks like he was already going to have value in standard leagues anyway.  With the changes in OC to K Moore, it looked like more time for Kelley and Kelley was going to be getting more of the short yardage .  According to the article from Christopher Allen on the waiver wire report, in short yardage situations (considered 3 or fewer yards) Kelley had 5 attempts to Ekeler's 2.  And Red Zone attempts were 5-4 in favor of Kelley.

[skinsrule05 30]

22 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

And so it begins....missed today's practice.  If it happened on the play I saw, the Chargers put him back in for 3 or 4 more plays afterwards.

 

This isn't news.  We already knew he was missing today for his agents funeral.  I'm not saying he is healthy just that today was no indication as far as his health.  We won't know anything until practice tomorrow.

[Mike FF Today 608]

 

[Einstein's Dog 20]

22 hours ago, skinsrule05 said:

This isn't news.  We already knew he was missing today for his agents funeral.  I'm not saying he is healthy just that today was no indication as far as his health.  We won't know anything until practice tomorrow.

Okay if you must wait - Ekeler missed practice Thursday.

I'm thinking with a couple days of reflection Ekeler now realizes he was rushed back in for the teams benefit.  With the game on the line LAC sent him back in even though he had an injured ankle.  Time for him to have his own doctors give him advice - he's on a one year contract.

[kilroy69 994]

He said it is sore and swollen. Could be a candidate for the 4 game pup

[Ray_T 591]

given what has happened with RB's this last offseason, the best way he can maximize his value is to have a huge season.

pissing around like this and sitting injured when in fact you are not will only make teams question your character if the word got out on that.    I, for one, wouldnt want someone like that on my team.  I'd go in a different direction even if the player is less talented.

 

[kilroy69 994]

8 minutes ago, Ray_T said:

given what has happened with RB's this last offseason, the best way he can maximize his value is to have a huge season.

pissing around like this and sitting injured when in fact you are not will only make teams question your character if the word got out on that.    I, for one, wouldnt want someone like that on my team.  I'd go in a different direction even if the player is less talented.

 

Dude is in the last year of his contract. and they are NOT bringing him back. No one is going to go out there and break themselves for a team that is 100 percent not going to be your employer next year. He should get his own doctors to look at it. If he is going to be week to week ask them to put you on the PUP and get better so both of you can make it work. 

[Ray_T 591]

1 minute ago, kilroy69 said:

Dude is in the last year of his contract. and they are NOT bringing him back. No one is going to go out there and break themselves for a team that is 100 percent not going to be your employer next year. 

I doubt the team would have been dumb enough to tell him this.

most teams dangle the carrot and make promises if he produces.

but even so, he should be treating this as an audition.  Free agency is next year.  best way to get a big contract is to put up some huge numbers.   

 

[weepaws 2,460]

21 minutes ago, Ray_T said:

I doubt the team would have been dumb enough to tell him this.

most teams dangle the carrot and make promises if he produces.

but even so, he should be treating this as an audition.  Free agency is next year.  best way to get a big contract is to put up some huge numbers.   

 

Maybe not for a Rb that turns 29 next May.  

[kilroy69 994]

1 hour ago, Ray_T said:

I doubt the team would have been dumb enough to tell him this.

 

 

You do not think he knows what is going on?  They gave him permission to seek a trade and then looked to have him in a RBBC in the first game BEFORE the ankle injury.  He is part of the old model. The new model is draft a rb, tag them twice if they are excellent then cut them loose after year 7 to a market that will give them the vet min....after their rookie contract. 

[Ray_T 591]

1 hour ago, kilroy69 said:

You do not think he knows what is going on?  They gave him permission to seek a trade and then looked to have him in a RBBC in the first game BEFORE the ankle injury.  He is part of the old model. The new model is draft a rb, tag them twice if they are excellent then cut them loose after year 7 to a market that will give them the vet min....after their rookie contract. 

 

this doesnt fully make sense to me.    if the plan is not to resign (or to get rid of the guy) I'd run the guy into the ground.

I certainly wouldnt be looking to preserve his health so he can play well for someone else when hes gone.

 

[kilroy69 994]

38 minutes ago, Ray_T said:

 

this doesnt fully make sense to me.    if the plan is not to resign (or to get rid of the guy) I'd run the guy into the ground.

I certainly wouldnt be looking to preserve his health so he can play well for someone else when hes gone.

 

How you gonna run him into the ground when one of his ankles is not working right? Teams have a training staff and if he brings his own doctors in and either say he can not play they are not just gonna toss his asss out there when they have a back that can do the job against the texans. He is not being brought back at the end of the season. I thought this was common knowledge based on them not giving him the contract extension he asked for and the fact they allowed him to look for a trade. It does not take a psychic to see the future of how that will play out. 

[weepaws 2,460]

It’s already been seen, that teams have a problem paying big dollars to a 29 yr old rb.  

[wolves111 69]

36 minutes ago, kilroy69 said:

How you gonna run him into the ground when one of his ankles is not working right? Teams have a training staff and if he brings his own doctors in and either say he can not play they are not just gonna toss his asss out there when they have a back that can do the job against the texans. He is not being brought back at the end of the season. I thought this was common knowledge based on them not giving him the contract extension he asked for and the fact they allowed him to look for a trade. It does not take a psychic to see the future of how that will play out. 

I picked up Kelly in three leagues. Ekeler situation is typical Chargers cluster fk. They should have done the right thing and gave him bonus incentives to at least make this year A win for both the team and the player. 
Instead if he coughs to hard he’ll take a seat. Yeah everyone knows his big paydays are over but him and his agent.

[Ray_T 591]

1 hour ago, wolves111 said:

They should have done the right thing and gave him bonus incentives to at least make this year A win for both the team and the player. 

correct me if i am wrong.  if you are on a rookie contract there is no amending the contract.   otherwise everyone would be doing it.

you play to the end of your rookie deal and the contract is laid out before you even sign and its based on your draft position.  No amendments no adding bonuses. 

as a RB you are almost better off getting drafted in round 2 so you become unrestricted earlier in your career(no 5th year option).   which is a bit crazy but that seems to be the way with RB now.

[kilroy69 994]

45 minutes ago, Ray_T said:

correct me if i am wrong.  if you are on a rookie contract there is no amending the contract.   otherwise everyone would be doing it.

you play to the end of your rookie deal and the contract is laid out before you even sign and its based on your draft position.  No amendments no adding bonuses. 

as a RB you are almost better off getting drafted in round 2 so you become unrestricted earlier in your career(no 5th year option).   which is a bit crazy but that seems to be the way with RB now.

Eckler is not on his rookie contract. He is on the tail end of the good old day contracts for Rbs. 4 years 24 mil. When he signs with a team next year he will be lucky to get 2 years/4million seeing as how no one would trade for him at 6mil this year. 

[Ray_T 591]

3 minutes ago, kilroy69 said:

Eckler is not on his rookie contract. He is on the tail end of the good old day contracts for Rbs. 4 years 24 mil. 

ok fair enough.  I assumed he was on a rookie contract still.

so in this case they probably could have given him a sweetener in terms of incentives(which would have made some sense to keep him happy)

[Einstein's Dog 20]

14 hours ago, Ray_T said:

 

this doesnt fully make sense to me.    if the plan is not to resign (or to get rid of the guy) I'd run the guy into the ground.

I certainly wouldnt be looking to preserve his health so he can play well for someone else when hes gone.

 

They weren't preserving Ekeler's health, after Ekeler was injured they sent him back out because the game was in doubt.  I think Ekeler knows he has to watch his own interests now, and those interests are not totally in line with the teams.  The team will play him while he is hurt.

As for J Kelley, it looks to me like K Moore's plan all along was to move him up to 1b.  It just makes sense for several reasons.  One Ekeler isn't built for full time abuse, even though he survived previous seasons doing it, it wasn't wise.  Moore came from a Zeke/Pollard situation.  It's a long season so having more than one good RB will help keep the offense going.  Fourth, you've got a couple more years of cheap labor out of Kelley and the plan will be to let Ekeler walk.

[Einstein's Dog 20]

Ekeler with the DNP on Friday.  Odds are now in favor of him sitting out Sunday.  J Kelley starting to look like a possible top 15 RB play this Sunday.

[Mike FF Today 608]

 

[Law 220]

Doubtful in the NFL, under the new injury designations, generally is a lock inactive.

[jrokh 569]

Not even making the trip…

https://x.com/danielrpopper/status/1702797603594006778?s=46&t=RVEI5z4YFGHB1Rohv_MEHA
 

 

 

[polecatt 403]

Yes!

My opponent left Swift on the bench and he has Ekeler!

[wolves111 69]

Be careful. Few years ago my opponent had Rodgers who left the game early with an ankle injury. As I was snickering my QB Prescott was rolling to his left, was tackled , and proceeded to break his.

Karma is a  

[Einstein's Dog 20]

On 9/13/2023 at 5:45 PM, skinsrule05 said:

This isn't news.  We already knew he was missing today for his agents funeral.  I'm not saying he is healthy just that today was no indication as far as his health.  We won't know anything until practice tomorrow.

My underlying premise continues.  Health is only part of the issue.  Ekeler's actions look the part of someone who is furious with the organization.  If he feels as I mentioned that he was hurt in the early part of the 4th quarter and they sent him back out because it was close.  He now has had time to process that.

Ekeler claims he played through injury last year.  Then LAC doesn't extend him - no added money/extension/guarantee.  Says he can find a trade partner - but LAC wants high draft picks for him.   Guess what - no team wants to give up good draft capital and pay a high salary to an RB.  Faced with no trade partners he comes back.  And then the first game back this team sends him back out while injured.  

If you were part of the advisors to Ekeler what would you be telling him to do?  When I said "so it begins"., this is what I was referring to.

[polecatt 403]

26 minutes ago, wolves111 said:

Be careful. Few years ago my opponent had Rodgers who left the game early with an ankle injury. As I was snickering my QB Prescott was rolling to his left, was tackled , and proceeded to break his.

Karma is a  

Oh I'm well aware of fantasy football karma and lacktherof, I've had plenty of both over the years

Usually though the kind of karma I get in a situation like this is, the back up has a career game

[weepaws 2,460]

karma , look up.  

[Mike FF Today 608]

 

[GobbleDog 816]

As expected Ekeler out, so let's see what Kelley can do with that insane offense. Averaged 5.7 yards per carry last week, but now facing Titans who were #1 against the run last year.  Maybe the fear of Herbert will open some holes like it did against Miami. 

[LaChup 154]

Anyone riding with Isaiah Spiller this week?

[kilroy69 994]

28 minutes ago, LaChup said:

Anyone riding with Isaiah Spiller this week?

Not a single person is riding spiller unless you are in a 20 team league, used a zero rb draft strat or missed out on Kelly. 

[jrokh 569]

42 minutes ago, LaChup said:

Anyone riding with Isaiah Spiller this week?

Your girlfriend is riding him…

[GobbleDog 816]

Spiller probably gets 3+ receptions and some rotation work.  If lucky, a possible Td.  Obviously not an optimal start, but in a pinch he's startable this week. He's the Ram's 4th rd pick from '22... now in sophmore season when Rbs often improve a lot. If Kelley struggles and Spiller produces... ya never know.

Not as insane as it sounds.

[LaChup 154]

1 hour ago, jrokh said:

Your girlfriend is riding him…

She borrowed him from you.

[seafoam1 1,879]

7 hours ago, jrokh said:

Your girlfriend is riding him…

Your boyfriend is as well. 

[Einstein's Dog 20]

The signs are there that Ekeler is furious.  The team balked at extending him, at giving him guaranteed money.  Probably told him they would ease his workload and understand and respect his position.  But then when the game was on the line they sent him back in when hurt.  Playing hurt, or playing through injury, is the last thing Ekeler should be doing if he wants to maximize his value for his next contract.

There is a subjective element to the dreaded "high ankle sprain" diagnosis.  It would not surprise me if Ekeler's doctor came to this conclusion.

Sitting out through the bye week and being 100% healthy for the large audience games of Dallas (at night) and KC is a real possibility.