The NFL's regular season is over, which for most teams, means it's time to start figuring out plans for the offseason.



NFL free agency is a huge part of the process, and along with the NFL Draft, it has everyone preparing for what should be a very active couple of months.

We've officially come up with our own contract projections for the NFL's top free agents that include context behind each player's 2023 season, the likelihood of a franchise tag, the projection itself, and the first-year cap hit for a team that's “all-in” and is needing to reduce that first-year hit in order to maximize their cap dollars.

So, without further ado, let's check out the projection for Los Angeles Chargers running back, Austin Ekeler.

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Austin Ekeler 2024 Contract Projection

Ekeler tried unsuccessfully to renegotiate his previous contract last offseason after leading the NFL in total touchdowns in 2022. The Chargers held firm and Ekeler saw his performance and production decline precipitously in a lost season. His yards per carry fell from 4.5 to 3.7, rushing yards from 915 to 617, and his total touchdowns dropped from 18 to six.

His peripheral metrics also suffered. His yards after contact per carry has decreased every year since 2018, and his missed tackle forced rate dropped from 20.2% to 16.5%. Ekeler will be unable to point to anything that trended in his direction during a contract year. He missed four games due to injury and will be 29 next year. Ekeler is most likely looking at a one-year deal for less than $5 million. His best bet is to ask for performance incentives that can help him squeeze more value out of the deal.

• Franchise Tag Likelihood: Low
• Projected Contract: 1 year, $4 million, $4.0M APY, $3.0M GTD
• Year One Cap Hit: $2.0 million

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Be sure to check back in and around the site for more projections, as we will add more in the coming days and weeks.

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