Ekeler stands to benefit from the absence of Melvin Gordon, who announced Wednesday that he won't be reporting to training camp until he receives a long-term extension, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.
Gordon's negotiations remain a fluid situation, but it seems clear the 2015 first-round pick is willing to sit out the entirety of training camp and the preseason in order to secure a new deal. Considering the Chargers' championship aspirations along with the fact that Gordon is still under contract through 2019, it seems likely both sides will come to a resolution before Week 1. In any event, Ekeler should be a prominent figure in the backfield, though his outlook would undoubtedly brighten if Gordon's stalemate with the Chargers should drag into the regular season. The preseason might yield valuable information as to how the Chargers might deploy their backfield sans Gordon, but Ekeler likely won't be in store for excessive usage regardless as the team aims to preserve his health for the regular season.