The Los Angeles Chargers narrowly lost to the Miami Dolphins 34-36 in Week 1. After this defeat in the NFL opener, running back Austin Ekeler took a hard line against his superiors.
A clear trend has emerged with the Chargers in recent seasons. As against the Dolphins, the team from the AFC West regularly gives up leads – preferably shortly before the end of the game. Ekeler primarily blames the Californians’ coaches for this.
“We’ve had to complain about injuries in recent years, but you can’t blame everything on injuries,” said the RB on Tuesday on the “Jim Rome Show.” Instead, he called for people to question previous coaching decisions.
“Our coaching wasn’t always the best. Our game wasn’t always the best. And when you have a combination of both, there’s a lack of consistency,” Ekeler put his finger in the wound.
The man from Nebraska is known for his clear statements. During the offseason, for example, he vehemently demanded a raise because, in his opinion, he was “underpaid.” After a few trade rumors, the Chargers finally gave in partially, so that Ekeler can earn an additional $2 million in performance bonuses in the last year of his contract.
NFL: Austin Ekeler questionable for upcoming game
In his efforts to receive this amount in full, Ekeler also had to cope with a setback at the weekend. The offensive star suffered an ankle injury against the Dolphins, which is why he is in danger of playing in the game against the Tennessee Titans next Sunday.
“His status has yet to be determined,” Chargers coach Brandon Staley said on Wednesday. “We’ll know at the end of the week.” Ekeler did not take part in training on the same day, but this cannot be attributed to the 28-year-old’s health.
On Sunday, Ekeler’s agent Cameron Weiss died of cancer at the age of 38. The NFL professional did not complete any training sessions on Wednesday for personal reasons.