Entering last season, running back was one of the most important positions the Los Angeles Chargers needed to address.

Austin Ekeler’s production was nosediving fast along with his health, so Justin Herbert was forced to carry nearly the entire offensive load.

In just five seasons, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year already has two of the ten highest passing volume seasons in NFL history.

When head coach Jim Harbaugh was hired by Los Angeles last year, he made it his mission to take some of the pressure off Herbert. This was evident when he hired Greg Roman to be the Offensive Coordinator who has a heavy power run scheme.

The former Baltimore coordinator brought two of his reinforcements with him from the Ravens, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, who completely transformed the run game.

Dec 15, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Gus Edwards (4) runs the ball against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson (98) during the first half at SoFi Stadium.

The two started in a split backfield, but after a couple games Dobbins just ran away with the job.

Both players faced their share of injuries throughout the season, but the former first-round pick finished with close to 1,000 yards in just 13 games while Edwards barely reached 300.

His usage took an even bigger hit with the emergence of rookie Kimani Vidal, which led fans and media members to question his future with the team.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed everyone’s suspicions on Friday night when he tweeted that the Chargers are expected to release Edwards.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who paid attention to the team last year. But with the uncertainty surrounding their running back position, this likely indicates that Los Angeles knows who their starter will be.

Once Edwards is released, neither ex-Raven will be on the roster, but the Chargers have expressed interest in bringing Dobbins back.

This move confirms that Los Angeles will be re-signing him, or there’s a running back in the draft or free agency that they feel strongly about their chances of snagging.

As for Edwards, he’s made a name for himself during his career as a great complementary back.

While he’ll likely never give a team No. 1 running back production, he can be a nice change of pace and should find a new home easily, once free agency opens next week.