Austin Ekeler injury update: Commanders RB hospitalized after scary collision

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was taken to the hospital after suffering a scary injury in the game against the Dallas Cowboys. The team announced they made the move out with an abundance of caution.

The injury happened late in the fourth quarter when Ekeler was returning a kick. The veteran running back was hit hard and laid on the field motionless for a few minutes. Ekeler was helped off the field, and the Commanders didn’t have an immediate update since the game was ending. Ekekler’s injury happened not too long after fellow Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. left the game with an ankle injury.

During the offseason, Ekeler signed a two-year contract with the Commanders after spending seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. While Ekeler is not the featured back in the Commanders’ offense, he’s been a steady hand, rushing for over 300 yards and tallying over 300 receiving yards.

After signing his contract, Ekeler said he joined the Commanders because he wanted to share the backfield with Robinson and work with running backs coach Anthony Lynn who was the head coach of the Chargers from 2017 to 2020.

Why Austin Ekeler signed a contract with the Commanders

“Yeah, it was just an opportunity to come in and be this two-back backfield, back where I was feeling the best in my career with Melvin Gordon and I when I was going through my first contract,” Ekeler explained at the time, per NFL.com. “That really was intriguing to me, just the philosophies, being in a room with coach Lynn as well as far as a running back coach.

“This man is an absolute guru. So just being back in a room with him I know will definitely keep me focused, keep me locked in and give me the best opportunity to push myself as a player. And so that was the opportunity and the environment I wanted to be in.”

Ekeler also talked about when’s he has learned about the NFL over the last few years. “We’re in the business of sports, and in the business of sports, you’re gonna go through ups and downs depending on coaches and players and staff and support,” he said. “There’s so much that goes into the ecosystem of sports, and you’re always trying to be the most competitive that you can possibly be and trying to sustain that for as long as you can, but unfortunately, as we even experienced last year with the Chargers, going through some down years.”