EL SEGUNDO — Chargers running back Najee Harris didn’t wish to reveal details about the eye injury that prevented him from practicing with his teammates during training camp. He also said he didn’t want to address any limitations he might have going into Friday’s season opener.
“I don’t want to go into that,” Harris said Monday.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said it was still to be determined whether Harris would make his Chargers debut against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Harbaugh also said Harris was cleared for contact, which could pave the way for him to play after only returning to practice last week.
“Just recovering, getting in shape – just staying in shape, I mean,” Harris said of the days, weeks and months since suffering what he called a superficial eye injury during a fireworks accident on July 4 in his Bay Area hometown of Antioch. “Just trying to stay on top of the playbooks.”
Harbaugh was once again non-committal about Harris’ availability for Friday.
“It’s a possibility,” Harbaugh said. “He’s looked really good in practice and cleared for contact, so we’ll just take it one day at a time. Just keep taking it one day at a time. He’s got a really good awareness of what we’re doing in situations and then physically he’s done very well, as well.”
Harris wore dark sunglasses while making his first public comments since the accident. He had worn a dark visor along with his helmet and a weighted vest while working out on the sidelines in preparation for his return to the practice field this past week. Eventually, as he progressed, he stopped wearing the vest.
He has continued wearing the visor, though.
If he can’t play or his participation is limited in the game against the Chiefs, then rookie Omarion Hampton would get the start and the bulk of the snaps. Hampton was the Chargers’ first-round draft pick in April and the team hoped he and Harris would form a solid tandem.
“I’m ramping up to it,” Harris said of the possibility of playing Friday against the Chiefs. “This is my fifth day of practice. Just trying to get into that football shape. I’m feeling good, and we’ll just see where it leads. … (Being sidelined is) a humbling experience. I’m still going through it in a way. That whole situation can show you how things can change in the snap of a finger. It’s a blessing every day that we wake up. I’m just happy everybody’s safe and we’re alive.”
Harris rushed for 1,000 yards or more in each of his four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing a one-year deal worth up to $9.25 million with the Chargers during the offseason. The Chargers haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Melvin Gordon during the 2018 season.
Hampton rushed for 1,500 yards or more and 15 touchdowns in each of his last two seasons at the University of North Carolina. He also caught 38 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns during the 2024 season. He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award in 2023 and ’24.
J.K. Dobbins was the Chargers’ leading rusher last season with 905 yards. The Chargers declined to retain Dobbins, who signed instead with the AFC rival Denver Broncos. The Chargers also parted ways with Gus Edwards, releasing him in March and making him a free agent.