Should the Chicago Bears trade for Chargers RB Austin Ekeler?

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler has been granted permission to seek a trade after negotiations for a new contract stalled, multiple NFL insiders reported Tuesday.

Chargers granted permission to RB Austin Ekeler today to seek a trade after the two sides failed to make progress for a new contract, per his agent Cameron Weiss.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2023

Ekeler, 27 (soon to be 28), is coming off back-to-back seasons of more than 1,500 total yards. In 2022, Ekeler had 915 rushing and 722 receiving yards. He scored 38 total touchdowns over the last two years.

With the uncertainty surrounding David Montgomery’s future in Chicago and Khalil Herbert’s status as a backup through the first two years of his career, Ekeler could make sense.

Austin Ekeler would take pressure off of Justin Fields

The Bears led the NFL in rushing in 2022, largely due to Justin Fields’ near-historic season for a quarterback. He ran for 1,143 in just his second year in the league. Adding a running back as multi-faceted as Ekeler would take a significant amount of pressure off Fields both in the running game and passing game as one of the best check-down options in the league.

But if Ryan Poles isn’t willing to pay up for Montgomery, will he really trade for Ekeler, who’s in the final year of a four-year, $24.5 million deal? Ekeler wants a new contract, which means he wants a raise, and if Poles doesn’t want to pay top-of-the-market prices for a running back, it will all but eliminate Ekeler as an option.

There’s also the issue of trade compensation. The Chargers will demand a Day-2 pick, potentially as high as a second-rounder for Austin Ekeler. With so many needs elsewhere on the Chicago Bears roster, it’s a steep price to pay for a soon-to-be 28-year-old running back.

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Bears fans may prefer David Montgomery over Austin Ekeler

Chicago Bears fans will clamor for Poles to re-sign Montgomery before trading for Ekeler. Montgomery’s box score isn’t close to Austin Ekeler’s production, but he’s three years younger and a homegrown product. He’ll also cost less, even on a new deal, compared to the likely cost for Ekeler. And don’t forget about how much Poles adores Montgomery as a culture fit in the locker room.

It seems unlikely that the Bears will be in the mix for Austin Ekeler. Still, if the goal is to surround Justin Fields with as many offensive weapons as possible, Ekeler warrants consideration. An offense that features Fields, Ekeler, D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, and Cole Kmet would suddenly bring a lot of juice to Soldier Field in 2023.