Having lost top two options Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris to significant injuries, the Chargers are “desperate” for an upgrade at running back, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. A deal doesn’t appear imminent, however, as Vacchiano notes there’s more demand than supply leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline.
Hampton, the 22nd overall pick in last spring’s draft, was productive over his first five games before suffering an ankle injury in a Week 5 loss to the Commanders. The Chargers quickly placed Hampton on IR, setting him up for at least a four-game absence. He missed his third game on Thursday versus Minnesota and won’t be eligible to return until Week 10 against Pittsburgh.
While Hampton could rejoin the Chargers’ offense this year, Harris is done for 2025 after tearing his Achilles in a Week 3 win over the Broncos. That’s a notable shot to the Chargers’ depth.
With Hampton and Harris out of commission, Kimani Vidal has gotten the lion’s share of the work over the past couple of weeks. The 2024 sixth-round pick helped the Chargers to a Week 6 win in Miami with 124 yards on 18 carries, but he managed just 20 yards on nine attempts in a loss to the Colts last Sunday.
Hassan Haskins acted as the backup to Vidal in the wake of Hampton’s IR placement, but a hamstring injury kept him out of Thursday’s game. The Chargers elevated practice squad RBs Nyheim Hines and Jaret Patterson to add some much-needed depth. Hines missed all of the previous two seasons after tearing his ACL in a jet ski accident, and he hasn’t gotten a carry since 2022. Meanwhile, Patterson entered Thursday with just 85 carries since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021.
Considering the Chargers aren’t content with their in-house options, the Jets’ Breece Hall and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara are among running backs who could be on their radar. As far as RBs go, Hall and Kamara are the “biggest names that have come up in league circles,” Vacchiano writes.
Either Hall or Kamara would give the Chargers a proven starter to fill in for Hampton and a capable complement if he returns. There are roadblocks to a deal in both cases, though. Hall is a pending free agent on a winless team, which makes him a logical trade candidate, but the Jets “don’t seem interested” in dealing him, per Vacchiano. Meanwhile, Kamara has made it known that he doesn’t want to leave New Orleans.
With Hall and Kamara looking like unrealistic targets, the Chargers may have to settle for a less established addition if they succeed in trading for a back. The Browns’ Jerome Ford and the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright are among backups who have surfaced in trade rumors in recent weeks. They’d be more obtainable than either Hall or Kamara, though it’s unclear if the Chargers are interested.