Austin Ekeler Says 'Defensive Instincts' Kicked in During Pregame Brawl With Cowboys

Prior to the Cowboys-Chargers Monday Night Football showdown, the two teams were involved in a fight during warmups.

As videos of the brawl went viral on social media just prior to kickoff, one moment stood out: Chargers running back Austin Ekeler getting knocked in the head.

On Tuesday, standout back explained that he was struck in the helmet despite only trying to break up the skirmish.

“My instincts just kick in. I gotta get my guys out. Let me go get my guys out. So I just, you know, jog in there. I wasn’t at the intensity level that they were at—if you see it, I’m just kind of casually walking in," Ekeler said. 

"Yeah, sure enough, I caught one right in the side of the helmet."

Despite the punch knocking his helmet off, Ekeler said he was able to stay cool after the blow.

“It didn’t even faze me at all. ... I feel like I was the one who was targeted, and out of all of this and I was just in here trying to break it up. That was my defensive instincts kicking in to try and protect my guys."

Adding insult to near-injury, Ekeler and his teammates also came up on the losing end of the game, falling to the Cowboys 20-17. 

The Chargers will look to rebound from the loss in Week 7 when they head to Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday.