Just before halftime, Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered a non-contact leg injury that appears to be a worst case scenario. He was carted off the field, with designations of an Achilles injury already being reported. The Chargers reported that he would be questionable to return, but with an ankle injury. The exact details have yet to be revealed.
Harris was in the backfield and moving forward to receive a handoff from QB Justin Herbert when he fell to the ground with the injury.
From here, expect rookie Omarion Hampton to shoulder even more of load for the Chargers and their ground game. He was already the featured back in this offense, but now he won’t have his veteran running mate.
Hampton is a first-round pick who was a star at North Carolina and had the upside to be among the best running backs in the NFL within the next few years. He’s a hard runner who can do a little bit of everything out of the backfield.
Entering Week 3, Hampton had produced 72 yards rushing on 23 attempts. He had also caught three passes. Expect the volume and output to both increase for him moving forward as a three-down back.
If this is a season-ending injury for Harris, Hampton is absolutely good enough to carry all of the load for Los Angeles. Even then, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Chargers look to acquire another running back to compliment Hampton and provide depth the rest of the way. Again, that’s if this is season-ending for the veteran.
As we have more information on the Harris injury, we’ll keep you updated.