The Los Angeles Chargers run game improved in 2024, which was a real bright spot considering the entirely new coaching staff. Taking into account only regular season data, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) compared to 2023, the Chargers had 32 more designed rushing attempts (463 total in 2024), 236 more yards (1,882), six more rushing touchdowns (17), 21 more first downs (110), and 58 more yards after contact (1,237).
Much of those stats can be attributed to running back J.K. Dobbins, who’s a free agent this year. Right on the heels of Dobbins was running back Gus Edwards, who had a little less than half of the designed rushing attempts of Dobbins with much fewer rushing yards (365 compared to 905) and touchdowns.
Dobbins and Edwards were originally described as thunder and lightning, a combo of sorts in the rushing back unit. Once the season started, Dobbins had a storybook-worthy year with some career-high stats, while Edwards’ season was good but not great.
If the Chargers retain Edwards, who has one year left on his contract, can he carve out a major role this season?
Gus Edwards’ 2024 Season With Chargers
Edwards had a bit of a slower start to 2024 as he was sidelined in the team drills until the sixth day of training camp due to an offseason surgery. But by the ninth day, he started to hit a groove as Daniel Popper of The Athletic noted that Edwards “looked lively as a rusher… He found a crease on a cutback to the inside on the opening play of the nine-on-seven run period. Later, he picked up a fresh set of downs on a first-down rush up the middle.”
In the offseason, Popper saw Edwards as the “primary back who will shoulder the load in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s rushing attack.” When the season began, Dobbins started to separate from the pack.
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Dobbins came out hot and had a touchdown and triple dígits in rushing yards in the season-opener against Las Vegas. Edwards, meanwhile, was getting playing time but didn’t get his first rushing touchdown until the fourth quarter of Week 12 against his former team, the Ravens. And then in Week 16, in the Chargers’ second matchup against the Broncos, Edwards really caught fire.
During the third drive of that first quarter, he had a nice cut-through for a run, and a few plays later, he eventually pushed his way into the end zone, falling in backward for a touchdown. He got another closer to the end of the third quarter. And during the fourth, he had his longest run (43 yards) of the season where, thanks to right tackle Joe Alt, who created the hole, Edwards was able to get going, breaking multiple tackles along the way to the 30-yard line. A few plays after that, running back Hassan Haskins was able to run it in for a touchdown.
Week 16 was Edwards’ most impressive game in 2024, and it took having more opportunity and not having to share the spotlight with Dobbins to do it.
Gus Edwards In 2025
If Edwards doesn’t end up a cap casualty, and the Chargers don’t use free agency as a way to get another back or keep Dobbins, Edwards should be able to be that critical piece in this unit.
He has the tools, and he’s shown in both instances when Dobbins was out in 2024 and in 2023 that he can handle the workload. It all depends on the pieces that are brought in.
Perhaps he’ll end up RB2 in a one-two running back scenario, so there are options, but Edwards just has to stay in LA long enough for them to take shape.