Regardless of Najee Harris’ status, the Los Angeles Chargers know how they will handle their situation at running back when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that rookie running back Omarion Hampton will either split carries with Harris or another running back on the roster.
Harris, the former Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick and perennial 1,000-yard rusher, is still working his way back from a “superficial eye injury” that was sustained during a Fourth of July fireworks incident.
“There will be rotation no matter what happens,” Roman said. “The day of the one running back taking every rep, it’s kinda gone the way of the prehistoric creatures.”
Roman added that it’s a wide open race regarding who would split carries with Hampton if Harris’ eye injury prevents him from playing in Week 1. Among the Chargers’ possible options is Raheim Sanders, an undrafted rookie who ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries during the team’s recent preseason win over the Saints. Sanders’ competition includes Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal and Nyheim Miller-Hines.
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Zachary Pereles
“There’s a lot of good players there and they’re showing that,” Chargers coach John Harbaugh recently said of his running back room.
Regarding Harris, Tuesday marked the first time that the former Pro Bowler has been seen running in any capacity during the Chargers’ open portion of practice. Harris spent practice doing individual drills off to the side as it appears that he is making steady progress in his ongoing recovery.
“It’s been better each day,” Harbaugh recently said when asked about Harris’ status. “Making really good progress.”
While Harris’ status for Week 1 remains up in the air, one thing that we do know is that Hampton is in line to make some sort of impact when the Chargers kick off the regular season against Kansas City. The second running back selected in this year’s NFL Draft, Hampton enjoyed a prolific run at North Carolina that included two consecutive ACC rushing titles.
Hampton has made an quick impression on Harbaugh, who played with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk in Indianapolis and coached future Hall of Famer Frank Gore during his years with the 49ers. Harbaugh recently lauded Hampton’s ability to create running lanes during the team’s non-padded practices.
“He’s the only back I’ve ever been around that can find a hole in that mush,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve yet to see him run into the back of the pads of an offensive lineman. Other indicators, he can run, he can pull away. We’re super excited about him.”