Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was named Nickelodeon’s NVP of NVPs on Wednesday. The award represents the highest honor that the children’s network bestows upon NFL players and was won by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow last season.
he didn't choose the slime life, the slime life chose him đź’š pic.twitter.com/bsxQmbYb6w
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) February 15, 2023
Ekeler became eligible for the award by winning the NVP vote in Week 4 for his electric three-touchdown performance against the Houston Texans. His efforts in 2022 helped lift the Chargers to their first playoff appearance since 2018, and despite falling short in their Wild Card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ekeler was a key part of the team’s success all season.
Despite a lackluster running game as a whole this past season, Ekeler provided plenty of value to the offense with his versatile skill set this season.
Ekeler finished the 2022 regular season as the franchise’s single-season reception leader (107), surpassing Keenan Allen’s previous record of 106. He topped the 900-yard mark on the ground for the second consecutive campaign.
Hopes are high that Ekeler and the Chargers will be able to make good on this prestigious award by showing even more of a spark next season.