Is Austin Ekeler playing tonight? Latest on Commanders RB for Week 11 TNF game vs Eagles

Concerns about Austin Ekeler's availability for Week 11's Thursday Night Football have faded. The Washington Commanders will face the Philadelphia Eagles tonight, hoping to return to winning ways after suffering a painful last-minute loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and Ekeler is set to take the field.

The veteran running back wasn't listed on the injury report this week, signaling he's good to go against the Eagles. This week's game presents a different scenario for Ekeler, though, as Brian Robinson Jr. is also set to make his return.

What will Austin Ekeler's role be against the Eagles?

After Brian Robinson Jr. was cleared to play, Austin Ekeler is expected to step into a backup role in his return. The running back still expressed his excitement about the game in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

In each of the last two games, Ekeler recorded 14 touches, racking up 85 and 51 total yards, respectively. He's now in line for a lesser role against the Eagles as the Commanders look to bounce back after their one-point loss to the Steelers.

Austin Ekeler reflects on preparations for tonight's game

Playing again four days after a grueling game against the Steelers, Austin Ekeler talked about the challenges of returning to the field so soon.

He noted that the Eagles had an advantage, having rested some starters late after dominating the Dallas Cowboys.

“It’s crazy, and I’ll still be sore going into the game, and Philly was handling Dallas so they got to rest some of their guys late in the game, and we didn't have that luxury,” Ekeler said on the "Grant and Danny" show.

“But it kind of just plays out, and whatever scenario you have, you have to deal with it. My body might be sore just because of the type of game that we were in, and others might feel differently, but it’s the mentality that we have the Thursday night game, we have to get ready no matter what – if all you have is 70 percent to give, that’s what we need, because the short week is definitely harder to recover, so we’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

The Commanders are still an intriguing team this season, and a win against the Eagles would be a big boost for their record and morale.