JULY 17: As expected, Harris will indeed open camp on the active/NFI list. The Chargers officially moved him to the list on Thursday. Further clarity on his recovery timeline will likely come about once the team’s staff evaluates the extent of the injury.
JULY 16: Najee Harris‘ injury sustained in a fireworks accident will delay his start to Chargers training camp. Although the free agency addition is expected to begin the season on time, his work with his new team is on hold.
The Chargers are expected to place Harris on their NFI list, GM Joe Hortiz said (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper). Harris will land on Los Angeles’ active/NFI list, a training camp-only designation. The Chargers do not need to decide on a reserve/NFI list placement — which requires a four-game absence — for more than a month.
The former Steelers 1,000-yard back has never missed a game as a pro, and early expectations point to that durability persisting into Year 5. Harris suffered an eye injury earlier this month and has been receiving treatment at Stanford, Popper adds. He will soon begin working with Chargers doctors at the team facility. That said, Hortiz added (via ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) neither he nor the team’s medical staff have seen the extent of Harris’ injury.
“Surface-level injury,” Hortiz said, via Rhim. “Obviously around the eye, so I’m sure there’s bruising and all that. We haven’t seen him, so we’ll get more clarity when he gets in here and our doctors see him.”
An NFI stay to open camp would cover this issue, as Harris was injured in a non-football activity. The active/PUP list covers football-related health issues heading into camp; Harris has not seen any of those keep him off the field as a pro. Harris was 68-for-68 in regular-season attendance in Pittsburgh, playing in all the Steelers’ playoff games during this period as well. He delivered four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, splitting time with Jaylen Warren for much of his tenure.
Even as Harris proved reliable in Pittsburgh, the former first-rounder never posted a 1,200-yard rushing season and did not command a big market. The Chargers added him on a one-year deal that included $5.25MM in base value. They then used a first-round pick on North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, the consensus second-best back in the draft. Harris’ placement on the active/NFI list will give Hampton more time to work with the Chargers’ first-stringers. Veterans reported to Bolts camp Wednesday.
What an absolute fool.
You can tell this guy was a Steeler strictly based off of this. If I saw this I would say yeah he plays for Pittsburgh, I know he hasn’t in a few months but gd.
What a stupid take. Is it just that you hate the Steelers or is embarrassing yourself something that you are comfortable with?
Harris was a good guy here in Pittsburgh. Played hard. Hated losing. Solid citizen off the field. I’d love to see him play behind a good line
Never misses a game here
But here we are with a character assassination of the player and the team from a guy who probably is only an expert in beer, porn and fart jokes.
What a stupid take. Is it just that you hate the Steelers or is embarrassing yourself something that you are comfortable with?
Harris was a good guy here in Pittsburgh. Played hard. Hated losing. Solid citizen off the field. I’d love to see him play behind a good line
Never missed a game here
But here we are with a character assassination of the player and the team from a guy who probably is only an expert in beer and fart jokes
That’s the best thing that could happen for the chargers. Dudes a bad RB lol.
He’s a punching bag to take x amount of touches off their real RB.
It’s about all he’s good for anyways lol
@hottakesonly. He’s one of the most durable runningbacks in the nfl. That’s what they needed. It might give rocket Sanders more reps, and could be a good thing.
Does durable translate to good? No lol. They should’ve never even signed him to begin with lol.
Let’s put him behind a real O-line and then make the call. No, Harris is not a quick burst type—never was— but his time here will be remembered as him getting the ball at the same time D-linemen were getting him in the backfield. That he never missed a game was incredible
Durability is amazing for Harris. No ones denying that. It’s the rest of his game. Slow, no vision, meh blocker, not good enough hands….
Trent Richardson never got hurt either, didn’t make him any good.
What a bunch of nonsense.
Good analysis appreciate all the value you’ve added today.
@hot. He averaged 4.0 with a crap line. Chargers got someone that’s durable. Im not sure about his eye, but he was probably brought in for the first 4-6 weeks to be a buffer for hampton. Now he’s probably a insurance policy for later on the season and he signed a contract with bonuses if Hampton goes off he’s not reaching it.
The least explosive RB…
Three yards and a cloud of rubber pellets.
So where’s all the people defending the players and their contracts? Is he getting paid for this time off? Does the team have to continue paying him for the games he doesn’t play even though he signed a contract for said games?
Almost 2 weeks from the incident and the team doctors haven’t even looked at him yet? “Surface level injury”. Seems a bit more serious if you’re possibly missing a month of game time. Glad the Raiders passed on this clown.
That’s the part I’m confused on. They are talking about extent of injuries etc but haven’t even looked at him yet. It seem with money invested would be more involved.
After Jason Pierre-Paul decided to hold onto a small bomb a few years ago, how big of an idiot do you have to be to play with fireworks? Losing a finger and deforming a couple more probably cost him a few million over his last few contacts. He was still good, but how good could he have been? Maybe now we know why Knotheadjee is not still a Steeler. Young man is dumber than a post apparently. Guess it’s the same way as with drugs. “It’ll never happen to ME.” Until it does.
Being strong and able to run fast take no education. At least his stupidity only seems to have affected himself.
Setting fireworks off is a blast if done properly. What happened to these guys could happen to anyone. When a firework doesn’t light don’t keep trying to light it. That’s the lesson.
Is lighting the fireworks a “blast”? Or is it watching them that’s the benefit?
The lesson is if you value your fingers/eyes/eardrums, let the other moron in the neighborhood take the risk.
Read the story on what happened. A lot of people seem to have gotten injured.
Oh so he was a victim. 🙄
People are commenting like he was running around throwing m80s. He was at a event and several people got hurt.
@hawk he only ran 4 yards. Fine I had too, but he was a good signing who knows jpp wasn’t serious until he was missing his hand it was long and drawn out. He might miss preseason that could lead int the season they start quick. I dont think its a scar on his face dude is probably having blurred vision
Oh I agree. It is a vision, eye issue. My comment is more to the fact we don’t know details but I don’t think is a JPP type injury. Was at a event with several other injuries. Your right preseason right around corner.
You’re supposed to pay other people to light the fireworks when you’re rich.
He wasn’t the one lighting the fireworks. Read the story on the incident before commenting.