Los Angeles Chargers: Big opportunity upcoming for Joshua Kelley

With Austin Ekeler being sidelined for several weeks with an injury, Los Angeles Chargers rookie running back Joshua Kelley has a major chance to impress.

The NFL has already had their fair share of injuries this season and the bug bit the Los Angeles Chargers this past weekend. While no one hopes for injuries, they can provide other players with opportunities to burst out and make a name for themselves at the NFL level. For 2020 NFL Draft selection Joshua Kelley of the Los Angeles Chargers, that opportunity was just presented.

During the Chargers’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting running back Austin Ekeler went down and needed a considerable amount of help to get off the field. After further testing and evaluation, it was reported that Ekeler sustained a hamstring injury as well as a hyperextended knee that will sideline him for a projected four-to-six weeks. If he is placed on IR, which is becoming expected, it will be at least three weeks before Ekeler returns to the field.

At 1-3, the Chargers could quickly fall behind in a tough division that includes the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs, meaning they can’t waste time filling the shoes of Ekeler on the field. In the meantime, the Los Angeles backfield will belong to a combination of Kelley and Justin Jackson who are expected to each have a share of the touches.

For Jackson, he has had chances in the past, playing in seven games during the 2019 season and 13 in 2018. Between those two seasons, he totaled a combined 563 yards from scrimmage on just 103 touches. This season, he has just 13 rushing yards and 12 receiving yards on a combined 10 touches, although he has been dealing with a quadriceps injury.

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In college, Jackson was able to produce a bit more in a complete role, rushing for over 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons at Northwestern while scoring at least 10 touchdowns in three of those four seasons. The catch, though, for Jackson is that he currently isn’t part of the offense. It could be more difficult to push him into Ekeler’s role when Kelley has already been a part of the success on the field.

This leaves the door of opportunity wide open for Kelley to showcase his abilities in full. Playing alongside Ekeler through the first three weeks, Kelley saw 43 carries and four receptions for a total of 225 yards and a touchdown both on the ground and through the air.

Kelley should be the featured back going forward

With Ekeler now out for some time, Kelley will be relied on to lead the backfield and his stats from college show the potential that could erupt from the situation.

Spending two years at UCLA before being taken in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Kelley was the lead back both seasons as a Bruin and rushed for over 1,000 yards each season as well. His first season in 2018 saw him rush the ball 225 times for a total of 1,243 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He was also able to find the end zone on 12 occasions during the season.

His second season, being 2019, was much of the same on the ground for Kelley. His carries jumped slightly to 229, but his yardage dipped to 1,060 and an average of just 4.6 yards per carry. While that was a drop, those numbers are still more than serviceable. He also scored 12 times on the ground again.

The concern for the Chargers and Kelley in an increased role will be his pass-catching ability. Over those two seasons combined at UCLA, he hauled in just 38 passes for 264 yards and one score.

The Chargers have been known as a team that targets running backs frequently in the passing game, but some of that was because Philip Rivers was under center. With Justin Herbert now tossing the pigskin around, those checks might go to tight ends or wide receivers underneath if need be and Jackson can come in for the passing downs if Kelley isn’t trusted yet.

Like I said, no one wants injuries, but they happen and teams have to be prepared. Being a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, this will be a huge opportunity for Joshua Kelley to prove himself to the Los Angeles Chargers and the league as a viable option in the backfield. Ekeler will resume his role when he returns, but if Kelley lights it up, he could cut himself a nice chunk of the scheme moving forward.