After seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, running back Austin Ekeler signed with the Washington Commanders in the offseason. Tiki Barber, a former All-Pro running back with the New York Giants and current WFAN host, shared some feelings on Ekeler’s reason for leaving the Chargers.
In a conversation with host Shaun Morash on Evan and Tiki, Barber cited Ekeler’s recent comments to Kay Adams on Up & Adams regarding leaving the Chargers.
“Austin Ekeler said something the other day, which was so discouraging,” Barber said. “He was asked about why the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers weren’t ideal for him — or why they moved on from him. And you know what his answer was? ‘They want a guy who can run the ball 300 times a season.’ They want someone who can run the ball 300 times a season.”
Morash clarified, “So, in other words, Ekeler was saying he can’t do that?”
“Yes,” Barber replied. “Go look at how many times I ran the ball 300 times a season.”
“That’s a tough thing for Ekeler to say when he’s the one waiving for how much money he wants long term,” Morash said. “You want to be a bell cow or not?”
Tiki Barber calls out Austin Ekeler for saying 300 carries a year was “not my game.”
“You got the Christian McCaffreys of the world, who make $19 million a year. And then you’ve got these other guys who can’t make 8. And you wonder why.”pic.twitter.com/JeHBlr5DdJ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 3, 2024
“Be on the field all the time. Don’t be a liability on third down. Catch the ball out of the backfield. Truck it through the offensive line 25 times a game. That’s what Christian McCaffrey does. That dude has so many 100% participation games, it makes no damn sense. I never had a 100% participation game, that is play every snap. I’ve never done that. Christian McCaffrey has done it like 8 times.
“You got the Christian McCaffreys of the world, who make $19 million a year. And then you’ve got these other guys who can’t make eight. And you wonder why. The mentality has changed from an organization standpoint.”
[Up & Adams on X, Photo/Video Credit: WFAN]
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