When Austin Ekeler entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers in 2017, Anthony Lynn was his head coach and one of the reasons Ekeler made Los Angeles’ roster.
Ekeler’s role on the offense continued to grow with Lynn at the helm until Lynn was fired following the 2020 season.
But now the two men have been reunited with the Commanders, as head coach Dan Quinn brought in Lynn to be the club’s run game coordinator/running backs coach and Washington signed Ekeler to a two-year deal in March.
In an interview with the Rich Eisen Show this week, Ekeler said he got the sense that Lynn was pounding the proverbial table for the Commanders to sign the running back.
"[I]t’s been great catching up with him,” Ekeler said. “He knows how I work, he knows my philosophies. And I’m very appreciative of him because he’s one of the reasons I even got my start. The reason I’m talking to you here is because he utilized me — after I made it through special teams anyway — he utilized me on the offensive side of the ball in ways that fit my strengths. And I know he’s looking to do the same thing over here, especially with [offensive coordinator] Kilff Kingsbury as well.”
Ekeler had one of his best seasons under Lynn in 2019, accounting for 1,550 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.
In 14 games last year, Ekeler rushed for 628 yards with five touchdowns and caught 51 passes for 436 yards with a TD.
