Omarion Hampton got off to a solid start to his rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers. He served as their starting running back in each of their first five games, but was on the injured reserve list since then.
He is finally making a return in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles and will be on the field to help Justin Herbert.
Omarion Hampton’s Injury Details
Hampton has worked his way back from an ankle injury following an impressive start to his rookie year. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh provided an encouraging update on the rookie running back before the team’s game on Monday Night Football.
“We opened his window, and we certainly wouldn’t have done that 21-day window if he wasn’t close,” Harbaugh said, according to Daniel Popper. “I feel like he’s been on track, and we’ll let the week play out again,” stated Harbaugh.
Opening his 21-day practice window was a major step towards Hampton making his return for the Chargers. As Harbaugh explained, they wouldn’t have done so if their rookie running back wasn’t close to being ready for game action. His performance at practice this week essentially determined his availability to play against the Eagles.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports’ NFL reporter Matt Zenitz also provided an update on Hampton. “It’s currently viewed as likely that Chargers starting running back Omarion Hampton, who has missed the last seven games with an ankle injury, will be able to return to action and play next Monday when the team faces the Eagles,” Zenitz wrote on X.
The Chargers are locked into a tight race for the NFL playoffs, so getting back one of their best offensive players will provide them with a boost down the stretch. Their 8-4 record currently has them placed as the sixth seed in the AFC.
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Hampton still currently ranks 37th among all running backs in PFSN’s Impact Rankings, despite only playing in five games this year. This demonstrates his elite upside and how much value he brings to their offense. His primary replacement, Kimani Vidal, ranks two spots below him on the same list. Still, he’s appeared in nine games and started seven of them this year.
The Chargers have also been without Najee Harris for most of this season, having acquired him during the offseason. He played in just three games for his new team before suffering an Achilles injury. Vidal has done a solid job filling in for the missing tandem in Los Angeles, but he will likely move to a complementary role as soon as the rookie is ready to resume his expected job as the starter.
Los Angeles Chargers’ Stats and Insights for Week 14
Team: Los Angeles finishes the season with trips to Kansas City and Dallas the next two weeks, and they’ll host Houston before finishing at Denver in Week 18.
QB: If Herbert was not available for Week 14, Trey Lance would have made his sixth career start. In his most recent start last season with the Cowboys, he completed 25 of 41 passes for 266 yards and one interception.
Offense:Â The Chargers are 8-1 when scoring 20 or more points and 0-3 when scoring 18 or fewer points.
Defense:Â Los Angeles has ranked 30th and 10th in DEFi over the last two weeks. It followed a streak of four straight games having a Top 3 weekly score in the league.
Fantasy:Â Oronde Gadsden broke out in Week 6, posting 11.8 fantasy points. He then had a four-week stretch of at least 11.8 points. Since then, Gadsden has seen his receptions decline in every game and has topped out at 6.1 fantasy points. The Eagles allow the third-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends.
