What Happened to Najee Harris? Revisiting the Chargers RB’s Devastating Injury and When He’ll Return

More often than not, non-contact injuries tend to be the most brutal of them all. Sadly for the Los Angeles Chargers, that’s exactly what happened to RB Najee Harris. The 27-year-old had played in just three games this year before his 2025 season came to an abrupt end. Harris suffered an Achilles injury, one that will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future.

Revisiting Najee Harris’s Season-Ending Achilles Injury

After spending his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris came over to Los Angeles on a one-year deal. Sadly for both parties, he was only on the field for three games. Harris’s season came to an end with just 15 carries for 61 yards, along with three receptions for 25 yards.

This devastating injury is set to snap his streak of four-straight 1,000+ yard rushing seasons. It is made even more heartbreaking by the fact that Harris was well known for his availability, having never missed a game while in Pittsburgh.

Harris finished each of his first four seasons with 255+ carries, 1,000+ yards, and six or more touchdowns. He had just under 1,100 carries with the Steelers, finishing with over 4,300 yards in the process. Heading to the Chargers with 34 total touchdowns, QB Justin Herbert and company thought he would be enough to take this offense to the next level. Instead, he’ll be watching from the sideline for the remainder of the season.

Now, the Chargers’ backfield is led by their No. 22 overall pick, RB Omarion Hampton. The 22-year-old wasted no time assuming RB1 duties, a position he proved to be more than ready for. Despite their 21-18 loss to the New York Giants, Hampton finished with 12 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown. In the end, he had 165 total yards as he added five receptions for 37 yards.

Clearly, the Chargers are still in good hands. Those numbers may have come against the Giants, but it’s a Giants team that allowed only 18 points against a Chargers team that went into the game 3-0. Hampton’s season totals sit at 54 carries for 270 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He’s been highly efficient in the pass-catching game, hauling in 14 of his 16 targets for 110 yards. Hampton currently has a B- in PFSN’s RB Impact metric.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh’s run game has been interesting, to say the least. Six different players have a rushing attempt this season, but Hampton and Harris are the only running backs in that category. Herbert is second on the team with 19 carries for 93 yards, while Harris sits at third. Below them is a pair of wide receivers and a tight end, as RB2 Hassan Haskins has yet to record a carry this season.