Chargers running back Najee Harris appeared to suffer an Achilles injury in today’s victory over the Broncos, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That much was confirmed by head coach Jim Harbaugh after the game. Harbaugh’s exact answer to the media seemed to resonate differently with a few different reporters. 
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had the most conservative report, stating that Harris was undergoing imaging but that there wasn’t “a lot of optimism.” Daniel Popper of The Athletic took Harbaugh’s comments a bit further, asserting that Harbaugh told them how “preliminary tests indicated a torn a torn Achilles.” Regardless, both versions point in the same direction, towards a likely lengthy absence for the veteran rusher.
Harris has been extremely consistent throughout his NFL career. A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, Harris started every possible game for the Steelers over the course of his rookie contract. After a Pro Bowl rookie campaign in which he rushed for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns (with 467 more yards and three more scores receiving), Harris’ next three season rushing totals of 1,034 yards, 1,035 yards, and 1,043 yards perfectly demonstrate that consistency. His touchdown totals in those three years of seven, eight, and six continue that trend.
Harris was going to be hard-pressed to find that same consistency in Los Angeles. Signing with the Chargers on a one-year, $5.25MM contract, Harris seemed the apparent new starting rusher for his new team. Los Angeles drafting Omarion Hampton in the first round of the draft and a fireworks incident both threw a wrench in those plans.
The incident at a 4th of July event saw Harris sustain a superficial eye injury that would force him to open camp on the active/non-football injury list. Though he was activated in time for Week 1 of the season, Hampton was the one getting all the touches and experience with the first-team offense throughout training camp. It may have been that way regardless of Harris’ availability, but the injury guaranteed that Harris would be making up ground upon his return.
That appeared to be the case in the Chargers’ first two games. Through two weeks, Hampton has out-carried Harris 23-9, and Hampton’s 88 snap share on offense (88) more than doubled that of Harris (32) over that time. Hampton will continue in that role as Harris is likely to miss extended time. No other backs have taken carries yet this season, but fourth-year running back Hassan Haskins stands to step into the RB2 role.
The team also holds Kimani Vidal and South Dakota State rookie Amar Johnson on the practice squad. Vidal, a sixth-round pick for the Chargers last year, spent his rookie season on the team’s active roster and could be a candidate to move up to the active roster in Harris’ absence.
His Achilles tore it went up to his knee, and he fell like a ton of bricks.