Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Roschon Johnson

Sunday, January 26, 6:46 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.

Thursday, August 7, 4:04 PM

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson (foot) was held out of Thursday's practice with a foot injury, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. It's unfortunate news for the former Texas Longhorn, as he's reportedly been the primary short-yardage and goal-line option throughout camp for Chicago. Backfield mate D'Andre Swift is slated to handle most of the backfield work for the Bears, although it isn't unlikely that head coach Ben Johnson might choose to deploy a similar sort of committee as he did during his time in Detroit. Injuries have limited Johnson throughout his first two seasons, and now he's in danger of missing Sunday's meeting with the visiting Miami Dolphins. Rookie rusher Kyle Monangai and sixth-year pro Travis Homer will see an uptick in snaps if that's the case. Johnson is currently being selected just outside the top 175 in drafts.