5 Los Angeles Chargers who need to be great in 2020

1. RB Austin Ekeler

Last offseason, perhaps knowing what they had behind him, the Chargers held the line on giving running back Melvin Gordon a new contract and seemed content to let him hold out. He wound up sitting out four games before coming back to the fold.

In those four games as the lead back, Austin Ekeler averaged 20 touches and 122.5 total yards per game as he played at least 72 percent of the Chargers’ offensive snaps three times. Even in Gordon’s first game back, Ekeler had 15 catches (on 16 targets) for 86 yards as the high-level check down for Philip Rivers.

Chargers offensive coordinator Shane Steichen has professed that Justin Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley will see a good share of work. But the team rewarded Ekeler handsomely before free agency started, with a four-year, $24 million contract ($15 million guaranteed. That points to him being the clear-cut lead back, with a nod to what he did as a pass catcher last year (92 receptions for 993 yards and eight touchdowns).

If he plays anywhere near all 16 games this year, Ekeler will naturally play more than the 57 percent of the snaps he played last year. The questions will be if he can hold up physically, as a smaller back (5-foot-10, 200 pounds), and maintain his high level of production with the bigger role that’s in store.

The Chargers literally made a bet Ekeler can be more of a proverbial workhorse this offseason. It’s up to him to step up, and be an even more prominent piece of what really should be one of the league’s top offenses.