Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Could remain in L.A.

Ekeler, who requested and received permission last month to pursue potential trade options, acknowledged Tuesday in an appearance on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio that he may remain with the Chargers in 2023. "Time will tell, and we'll see what happens after the draft," Ekeler said, regarding his future with the team. "The worst-case scenario right now out of all of it, I'll come back and I'll have to play for the Chargers for a year and bet on myself and then be a free agent next year."

The star running back, who turns 28 in May, is in line to earn $6.25 million in the final season of his four-year, $24.5 million deal with Los Angeles. While Ekeler has stated that he wants to remain with the Chargers, his current trade request stemmed from him being unable to make progress in extension talks with the team, thus prompting him to pivot toward looking for a franchise willing to make a long-term commitment to him.