Chargers Place RB Austin Ekeler On IR, Sign Kalen Ballage To Practice Squad

October 9, 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers announced Friday that they’ve placed RB Austin Ekeler on injured reserve and promoted WR Tyron Johnson to their active roster.

The Chargers also signed RB Kalen Ballage to their practice squad.

Here’s the Chargers updated practice squad:

RB Darius Bradwell
DB John Brannon
LB Cole Christiansen
WR Jeff Cotton
NT Breiden Fehoko
G Nathan Gilliam
DB Quenton Meeks
DT T.J. Smith
C Cole Toner
DB Donte Vaughn
RB Troymaine Pope
DE Joe Gaziano
LB B.J. Bello
G Ryan Hunter
DT Lee Autry
RB Kalen Ballage

It’s worth mentioning that the NFL changed the rules regarding injured reserve for the 2020 season and players can return from the list after just three games.

Ekeler, 25, wound up going undrafted out of Western State back in 2017. He played out the final year of his three-year contract and was in line to be a restricted free agent this offseason when he agreed to a four-year, $24.5 million deal that includes $15 million guaranteed.

In 2020, Ekeler appeared in four games for the Chargers and rushed for 248 yards on 49 carries (5.1 YPC) to go along with 17 receptions for 144 yard receiving and one touchdown.

Ballage, 24, is a former fourth-round pick by the Dolphins in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. He was entering the third year of his four-year, $3 million rookie contract.

Miami had initially planned to release Ballage but the Jets swooped in with an offer before he could be placed on waivers. New York agreed to send a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick to Miami in exchange for Ballage. However, the deal fell through after he failed a physical.

The Jets later signed Ballage to their roster before waiving him earlier in the week.

In 2020, Ballage has appeared in three games for the Jets and rushed for 13 yards on three carries (4.3 YPC) to go along with nine receptions for 67 yards receiving and no touchdowns.