LOS ANGELES — Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered an eye injury due to a fireworks accident during a July Fourth celebration, his agent Doug Hendrickson informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday. Hendrickson mentioned that the injury is “superficial” and that Harris should be ready for the upcoming NFL season.
Hendrickson also noted that the “mishap caused injuries to several people.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle, which cited police, one individual was hospitalized after losing fingers in the incident in Antioch, California.
In March, Harris signed a one-year contract with the Chargers to help improve their rushing offense. If Harris misses any games, the Chargers will rely heavily on rookie Omarion Hampton, who was picked in the first round of the draft.
It has been eight years since the Chargers had a running back gain over 1,000 yards; Melvin Gordon achieved this feat by rushing for 1,105 yards in 2017.
Since then, the Chargers have tried but haven’t been able to create a strong running game. Even last season, when coach Jim Harbaugh and his team talked about building a great rushing attack in L.A., the Chargers ended up with fewer rushing yards per game (110.7) than most teams in the league.
Harris ran for 1,000 yards during each of his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His tough running style is exactly what Harbaugh wants, and it might be what the Chargers need to improve their rushing offense next season.
