Austin Ekeler injury update: Latest on Chargers RB for fantasy football Week 6

Austin Ekeler is the Los Angeles Rams starting running back but has only played one game this season due to a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 1.

Ekeler has missed the last three games for the Chargers, but following Los Angeles' bye week, the RB will be returning to the lineup in Week 6.

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Austin Ekeler injury update

Austin Ekeler has missed three straight games.

Austin Ekeler suffered a high ankle sprain during the Los Angeles Chargers Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Ekeler still ran for 117 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown in the loss.

After the injury, Ekeler missed the next three games, but there was a possibility that he could play in Week 4.

But speaking to the reporters on Tuesday after the bye in week 5, the Los Angeles Chargers RB was optimistic about his chances to return to the field. Ekeler mentioned that he's "99% sure" about playing the Cowboys this weekend on Monday Night Football.

On Saturday evening, NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that Austin Ekeler is off the IR and is set to return from his injury on monday.

The Chargers RB will be lacing up his boots against the Cowboys on MNF at the SoFi stadium.

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What happened to Austin Ekeler?

Ekeler suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins. The Chargers star running back suffered the injury in the game and left in the fourth quarter. Ekeler only returned to practice in a limited setting in Week 4.

Ekeler has been relatively healthy in his career, with the Los Angeles' Week 2 game being the first he missed due to injury since 2021. He missed only nine games in his first six seasons before his latest ankle injury.

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When will Austin Ekeler return?

Following the bye week, all signs point to Austin Ekeler returning to the Los Angeles Charger lineup for Week 6.

The Chargers host the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night in a pivotal game. During the bye week, Ekeler said on his podcast that he expects to be back in the lineup for that game:

“It’s bye week, so we have a lot of time to rest up, the time’s coming... we have a long time between now and Monday night football vs. the Cowboys, so expecting to be back by then, for sure.”

If Ekeler does return to the lineup it would be a big boost to the Chargers offense. After he went down with the ankle injury, Joshua Kelly has been the starting running back.