The Los Angeles Chargers aren't sending a running back to the Pro Bowl.
Last year's Pro Bowl back Melvin Gordon was not the one snubbed from the Bolts' backfield, however. It was Austin Ekeler, his early-season replacement and a growing star in Los Angeles.
However, Ekeler doesn't feel as if he was snubbed. His goal entering 2019 was not to make the Pro Bowl, it was to expand his role in the offense. On if he was snubbed, he said, via Fernando Ramirez of NBC San Diego:
“No, just because coming into the season, I didn't know what to expect. Coming in, (I was) just trying to expand my role on the offense and I didn't know how far I could push the limit… I felt like I pushed it pretty far, but apparently not far enough to get some Pro Bowl votes and sneak me in, so that's fine, because to me, I still accomplished my goal that I set out to do.”
In the background of the interview, Gordon proclaimed that Ekeler was “screwed over.”
Ekeler certainly expanded his role in the Chargers' offense. No longer just a complement to Gordon, he is one of the key-cogs of Los Angeles' attack, primarily as an elite pass-catching running back.
On the season, Ekeler has 78 receptions for 892 yards and eight touchdowns. His productivity as a receiver outweighs what he does on the ground. On 119 rush attempts, he has 500 yards and three touchdowns.
Are those numbers that scream Pro Bowl snub?
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