Joshua Kelley's Showing Could Cement His Place in RB2 Competition
The battle we are all looking at regarding your Los Angeles Chargers was the running back battle. Everybody knows Austin Ekeler is the undisputed RB1, but the question was always who will be the RB2 whenever Ekeler is not on the field.
Although we don't have a definitive answer, we may have gotten our answer after their third preseason game on Friday.
Chargers running back Joshua Kelley showed up and displayed his capabilities in the preseason finale. He did so with a 75-yard rushing touchdown that had fans and his teammates fired up.
Kelley made the highlight reel, and although that was only his first of two carriers, he still earned himself a rushing grade of 90.0, according to PFF.
The 2020 Chargers fourth-round pick hasn't been the player LA needs him to be. Throughout his three-year career, Kelley has only played in 37 games and has rushed for 743 yards on 213 attempts and four rushing touchdowns. It's been tough for him to find his footing, but this year could be the year, and it must be.
The Chargers were among the worst teams in rushing offense a year ago, and with the help of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, he could help boost Ekeler's game and, more importantly, the rest of the running backs.
In three preseason games, Joshua had 15 carries for 141 yards and one touchdown. Considering he will be the backup, those types of numbers are precisely what the Bolts hope he can do in a backup role.
It will be exciting to see how he can translate that to the regular season and how Moore will implement Kelley in his offense. Bolts running back Isaiah Spiller still can prove his worth, but right now, it'll be Kelley backing up the star veteran Ekeler.
