In his fifth NFL season, Najee Harris is preparing for his first game with a new team, the Los Angeles Chargers, on Friday night against the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. However, for most of the offseason and training camp, it was unclear if Harris would be ready to start the year after suffering an eye injury in a fireworks incident on the Fourth of July.
On Monday, Harris, donning sunglasses, told the media that he’s “ramping up” to play in Week 1 on Friday as he’s “trying to get back into football shape” after missing much of training camp. Harris says that his vision has not been affected by the injury and that it’s “superficial.”
Najee Harris said he is expects to play against the Chiefs on Friday in Brazil: “I’m ramping up to it.” Did not want to get into any details on what happened in the fireworks accident. Said his vision has not been affected and called the eye injury “superficial.” pic.twitter.com/T7xoqDVodX
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) September 1, 2025
Najee Harris “ramping up” to return in Week 1 for Los Angeles Chargers
Harris signed a one-year $5.25 million contract with the Chargers this offseason after the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, declined his fifth-year option. The former Doak Walker Award winner with the Crimson Tide eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons in Pittsburgh, playing all 17 games each season.
However, Harris lacked explosiveness in the NFL, averaging under 4.0 yards per carry for his career with a long run of 37 yards, which came as a rookie in 2021, his lone Pro Bowl season. Though he latched on with Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, a run-first offense, LA has other long-term plans at the position, drafting North Carolina running back Omarrion Hampton in the first round this spring.
With Harris missing all of training camp and only returning to the field in the lead-up to Week 1, Hampton figures to be the workhorse for the Chargers. Still, Harris’s expected return, whether it comes in Week 1 or later, is promising for his career prospects. Considering how the NFL has devalued the position in recent years, a 27-year-old running back on a one-year contract shouldn’t feel comfortable about his position in the league long-term.
At Alabama, the former five-star recruit was dominant and was named a first-team All-American in his final season as the Crimson Tide won the national championship in 2020. That season, Harris ran for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns while catching 43 passes for 425 yards and four more scores.
He’ll never reach that level in the NFL, where he lacks the physical advantages that allowed him to excel in college. However, he can still be a useful player for a run-heavy offense and spell one of the league’s most promising rookies this season as he looks to hang on in his NFL career.