When Will the Former Steelers RB Return for the Chargers?
The million-dollar question swirling around Los Angeles right now is when will Najee Harris return? If you know anything about Jim Harbaugh, you know you’re more likely to get a cryptic one-liner than a straight answer. Chargers GM Joe Hortiz tossed some gasoline on the speculation fire during CBS’s broadcast of L.A.’s final preseason game, saying Harris is “on track” and “hopefully” ready to roll in Week One against the Chiefs in Brazil. That’s a bold statement, considering Harbaugh has spent the past month brushing off questions with his now-signature line: “When Najee’s ready to play, he’ll be ready to play. To take it past today would be going over the legal limit.”
Harris has been stashed on the non-football injury/illness list since camp opened, thanks to a freak fourth of July fireworks mishap that left him with what his agent called a “superficial” eye injury. The Chargers haven’t confirmed that word, and Harbaugh isn’t about to give reporters a medical dissertation. The only evidence of the injury came from Harris’s own Snapchat on August 6th, showing a swollen right eye shut. Still, he’s been spotted at practice in a helmet, visor down, working off to the side with trainers.
This is uncharted territory for Harris, a running back who’s never missed a game in his NFL career. It’s that durability, combined with his four straight 1,000-yard seasons in Pittsburgh, that made him a dream fit for Harbaugh’s old-school, run-heavy vision for the Chargers. He’s supposed to be the steadying force in an offense transitioning from Justin Herbert’s air raid to Harbaugh’s ground-and-pound identity. For now, rookie Omarion Hampton is waiting in the wings, and the first-round pick is no slouch; he racked up 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns at North Carolina last year. The Chargers didn’t bring in Harris to stand on the sidelines in sunglasses while Hampton carries the load. They want their new bell cow, and Week One is creeping closer.
If you’re a Chargers fan, you’re used to injury storylines dragging into September. This one feels different. Harbaugh’s poker face is legendary, but even he couldn’t deny that Harris is trending in the right direction. Whether that means a full workload in Brazil or just a few series to knock off rust, we’ll see. For now, Harris remains the NFL’s biggest mystery: the ironman back with the eye injury nobody’s allowed to talk about, yet everyone’s obsessing over.
