NFC Notes: Austin Ekeler, John Ross, Commanders, Eagles, Giants

Commanders

When appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Commanders’ recently signed RB Austin Ekeler said he’s excited to be reunited with RBs coach Anthony Lynn, who was Ekeler’s head coach with the Chargers from 2017-2020. 

“[I]t’s been great catching up with him,” Ekeler said. “He knows how I work, he knows my philosophies. And I’m very appreciative of him because he’s one of the reasons I even got my start. The reason I’m talking to you here is because he utilized me — after I made it through special teams anyway — he utilized me on the offensive side of the ball in ways that fit my strengths. And I know he’s looking to do the same thing over here, especially with [offensive coordinator] Kilff Kingsbury as well.”

Eagles

Eagles WR John Ross said he came to the organization knowing he had to make a quick impression on the coaching staff. 

“I knew that I had to hit the ground running,” Ross, via Dave Spadaro of the team’s site. “I was so excited. It could have been anything. It could have been me versus a bunch of kids in Philly middle schools. I would have been here and been happy.”

Ross reflected on his time as a free agent, saying he coached his son’s youth team and missed being a part of a locker room. 

“I’ve been through so much and just the fact that I’m here, I’m grateful. I am truly grateful,” Ross said. “I tried to stay away from football, but it’s hard when you feel you’re born to do this. I coached my son’s (Kyrie, age 7) team and I feel I never left the game. It was hard for me to watch the game, but I missed being in the locker room, being around the guys. I feel like this is my environment. I love my family and friends, but when you’re a football player you want to be around football players. You want to be around coaches. I missed it so much.”

Ross thinks the knowledge he’s gained on his journey in the NFL could be useful to younger players. 

“I’m not getting ahead of myself at all,” Ross said. “I feel like someday I’m going to write a book and it’s part of my journey to help these young guys and not have them go through what I went through. I had a lot going on internally. Everybody goes through different things and you have to keep your perspective. That’s what life is all about. You have to fight through it, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

Giants

Giants K Graham Gano dealt with a right ankle issue in 2023 but is expected to return to full health for the upcoming season. New York ST coordinator Michael Ghobrial is excited to work with Gano in his first season and outlined the plan to get him ready. 

“I think you always have to monitor how many kicks a specialist has in general,” Ghobrial said, via John Fennelly of the Giants Wire. “But the fact of the matter is that is like a conversation that you always have with the player. How are you feeling today? The biggest thing is you want to make sure they show up to the game healthy and ready to go. I’ve seen him do everything that I need to.”