Running back Najee Harris never missed a game in four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he’s going to sit out a lot of weeks during his first year with his new team.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Harris suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3 with the Los Angeles Chargers. Harris will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to the injury.
“He had an MRI late last night. You always want the tests to come in. You always want to get all reactions, but I hate to say it, this is one where you immediately knew this was a serious, significant and likely season-ending injury for Harris,” Rapoport said on NFL Network on Monday morning. “Took one false step. Seemed to be out.
“Was carted off and is now done for the season.”
Harris will end his first season with the Chargers having run for 61 yards on 15 carries. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry. Harris also had three receptions for 25 yards.
Unfortunately, Harris wasn’t the only former Steelers running back to suffer a gruesome injury Sunday. Arizona Cardinals veteran James Conner, who started in Pittsburgh before Harris arrived in 2021, also sustained a lower-leg injury during Week 3.
“He went down with a significant, significant ankle injury. One so severe that players from both sides came onto the field just to see how he was,” Rapoport also said on NFL Network. “He’s going to have surgery to repair that ankle and have more tests done just to ascertain the damage. But he’s also expected to miss the season.”
Najee Harris to Miss Rest of 2025 With Achilles Injury
Harris’ fresh start in Los Angeles has been rocky, at best, this year. The running back suffered a superficial eye injury during a July 4 fireworks accident.
That led to Harris beginning his first Chargers training camp on the non-football injury list.
Harris returned to make his Chargers debut in Brazil during Week 1. He played in the team’s first three regular season games, increasing his consecutive NFL games streak to 71.
But Harris will snap that streak due to the Achilles tear. It’s even more devastating for the running back’s long-term NFL future.
Harris only signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Chargers this past offseason. While his $5.25 million salary in 2025 is fully guaranteed, Harris has no long-term security.
There’s a decent chance that he won’t play for the Chargers again. If that’s the case, he will have to find a new team to take a chance on him after he recovers from major surgery.
In four seasons with the Steelers, Harris rushed for 4,312 yards and 28 touchdowns. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
During each of his four seasons with the team, he gained at least 1,000 yards rushing. In three of those four years, Harris had between 1,034 and 1,043 rushing yards.
James Conner Sustains Another Setback in NFL Career
Unlike Harris, Conner has gone through tremendous injury adversity going back to his college career. At Pitt, Conner tore an MCL and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
In four seasons with the Steelers from 2017-20, he never dressed for more than 14 contests in a season. Before 2025, he was more healthy with the Cardinals but had still not played in every game during one campaign.
Conner is signed through the 2026 season, which makes his injury a little less significant long term than Harris’. However, the Cardinals have a potential out in Conner’s contract this offseason.
According to Spotrac, if Conner is released this offseason, the Cardinals will only have a $2.25 million dead cap hit.
It could also be harder for Conner to receive another NFL opportunity because he turns 31 years old next May.
In four seasons with the Steelers, Conner rushed for 2,302 yards and 22 touchdowns. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Conner has gained 3,763 yards over four-plus yards with the Cardinals. He made the Pro Bowl with the Steelers in 2018 and with the Cardinals in 2021.
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