Chargers RB Austin Ekeler says he's 'day-to-day, week-to-week' with ankle injury
Austin Ekeler missed Week 2 with an ankle injury. It's unclear if Week 3 will be any better.
The Los Angeles Chargers running back addressed his health during his weekly "Ekeler's Edge" podcast on the Yahoo Fantasy Football Show, describing his status as a "day-to-day, week-to-week situation":
"Dealing with the ankle. I've dealt with ankles in the past. You've just got to get it to a point where you feel good, where it's taped up and you can actually feel like, 'If I get tackled, it's not going to be reaggravated and set me back to where I was before, where I could barely walk on it.'
"It's not something that's going to be like, 'Ah, he's out for several months' type of thing. It's a day-to-day, week-to-week situation. I like the progress that I've made so far. Hopefully back sooner than later."
Ekeler sustained the injury in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins and did not participate in practice in the week ahead of last weekend's game against the Tennessee Titans. He was initially considered doubtful, but was downgraded to out on Saturday. In his stead, Joshua Kelley got the start and posted 39 rushing yards in 13 carries.
Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Monday there is no timetable for Ekeler's return.
Ekeler insisted he was just as frustrated as anyone, Chargers fans and fantasy players included, but said that wouldn't be any help:
"For all players, it's so annoying, especially when it's naggy things like an ankle. I can still go in there and crush a leg workout, but I can't run right now. Let's continue to keep working, gotta stay patient because you can't speed it up by wanting it to be better. That's not how the body works. You have to make sure you don't skip steps, get the proper treatment, ease your way back into it."
Ekeler, a first-round pick in many fantasy drafts this year, posted 117 rushing yards and a touchdown plus 47 receiving yards on four catches and five targets in Week 1. He's coming off a season in which he posted a career-high 915 rushing yards and touchdowns on the ground, plus 722 yards and five touchdowns through the air.
