Commanders Predicted To Cut With 73-TD Former All-Pro
Washington Commanders veteran running back Austin Ekeler is now on record as predicting his 2025 team is on the verge of "looking like a powerhouse out there.''
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But that leads to a question, for some ...
Is eight-year veteran Ekeler, with "73 TDs'' and "the age of 30'' both on his resume, going to be part of that powerhouse?
After a wonderful 2024 season in which the Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game after bumbling to a four-win 2023 season, attention now turns to doing it again.
Ekeler, working in tandem last year with Brian Robinson Jr., was a part of that turnaround. He recorded 367 rushing yards on 77 attempts for four touchdowns over 12 games, while also catching 35 passes for 366 yards.
Which is why it is so notable that some are writing him off this year.
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Ekeler is playing out the two-year, $8.34 million contract given him last offseason; that's cheap help. But it is being pointed out that the team can gain over $3.4 million in cap savings if it cuts him.
Missed in the equation, though, is the dead money. That penalty is $1.5 million with the releasing of Ekeler.
So ... Washington saves $2 million by cutting him.
What's the point of this again?
If we get to camp and there is some sign that he's "lost it''? This is worthy of a revisit.
But for now?
'I think there's even going to be more growth this year, which is awesome because of where we are at with our team and have a lot of players back,'' he tells SiriusXM. "We still have a lot of playmakers. ...
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"Oh man, we are going to be looking like a powerhouse out there.'
And for the money, fans of Ekeler think having him around adds to the power.
Related: Commanders Trade for Trey Hendrickson Idea Gets Final Pre-Camp Update
Related: 'The Trajectory': Commanders' Jayden Scouted by Ekeler
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
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