INGLEWOOD — Chargers running back Najee Harris’ 2025 season took another unexpected turn Sunday at SoFi Stadium, when Coach Jim Harbaugh said he suffered an Achilles tendon injury with 5:02 left in the first half of the team’s 23-20 victory over the Denver Broncos. Harris went down without contact.
Harris ran toward the line of scrimmage as Justin Herbert received the snap from Bradley Bozeman and dropped to complete a pass for a 10-yard gain to wide receiver Quentin Johnston on a second-and-4 play from the Broncos’ 48-yard line. It appeared Harris caught his cleats in the turf.
Members of the Chargers’ athletic training staff raced from the sideline to his aid and then assisted him to the sideline. A medical cart then took him to the Chargers’ locker room. Harbaugh would later say the preliminary report was that Harris had an Achilles tendon injury.
Harbaugh couldn’t say how long Harris might be sidelined. Depending on the severity of the injury, Harris could be lost to the Chargers for the rest of the season, just as he was rounding into form after sustaining an eye injury that prevented him from participating in training camp.
Achilles tendon tears typically take up to 12 months to heal fully.
“Yeah, not good and just hoping for the best, that it was maybe an ankle or high ankle (sprain) or something else that wouldn’t be long term,” Harbaugh said when asked about his emotions after seeing Harris carted from the field. “As I told him at halftime, ‘You’ll be back, kid,’ and I know he will.”
Harris gained 28 yards on six carries before he was hurt. Omarion Hampton, the Chargers’ first-round draft pick, took over the rushing duties and gained 70 yards with one touchdown on 19 carries. Hampton is expected to become the Chargers’ top back in the absence of Harris.
“Man, what a game he had,” Harbaugh said of Hampton. “How about that? I mean, that was gritty. He put that work in today and he was running with purpose, gritty performance by him. Just always lunging forward, surging forward. I think he caught the ball five or six times, too, out of the backfield.”
Hampton caught six passes for 59 yards.
EXTRA POINTS
Herbert became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to reach 2,000 completions for his career, at 27 years, 195 days. Drew Bledsoe was the youngest at 27 years, 239 days while with the New England Patriots. Herbert has completed 2,017 passes in his five-plus NFL seasons. …
Cameron Dicker attempted the 100th, 101st and 102nd field goals of his Chargers career, successfully converting the 94th, 95th and 96th kicks of his 45-game tenure. He’s the most accurate kicker in Chargers history. Dicker’s 94.1% success rate beats Nate Kaeding’s 87% average.