While the Los Angeles Chargers did not see much of Najee Harris during the course of his short-lived debut season, he impressed whenever he was given an opportunity. Coming from an off-season of unfortunate luck, Harris finally started a breakthrough in Week 3 of the NFL season, which then ended in disaster.
An extremely unfortunate Achilles tear for Harris now means the Chargers will be placing him on injured reserve, looking for candidates to replace his role. While in-house options for the Chargers could be extremely valuable, looking for trade candidates is always more fun.
Trade Candidates Available to Replace Najee Harris After Injury
Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz has not been afraid to pick up the phone and call around to replace guys after injury. Could Najee Harris and his injury be the cog for the Chargers’ next trade? Looking around the NFL, three running backs really come to mind as Chargers trade candidates.
Tyler Allgeier – Deserves More Playing Time, But Will The Falcons Ship Him Off?
Tyler Allgeier came into the NFL as a fifth-round rookie runner who rushed for over 1000 yards, becoming one of the NFL’s most intriguing young backs. After the impressive rookie season, the Falcons disregarded his performance and drafted Bijan Robinson in the top 10 of the 2023 NFL draft, a move that ended up working out for the Falcons and Robinson, but not so much for Allgeier.
Allgeier has rushed for 600+ yards as a secondary runner since 2023, showing he still has “it” even as a secondary option. If the Falcons want to trade away the young back after an unimpressive 1-2 start, it could allow them to rebuild after this NFL season. NFL reporter Anthony Palacios argues that Allgeier could be on the move, with the Los Angeles Chargers being one of the landing spots.
Allgeier could be an easy plug-and-play option to help Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton split time during the course of the 2025 season. Even more so, if Allgeier performs, he could return to the Chargers and become a fun option for the long term.
Dameon Pierce – Former 900 Yard Rusher
Dameon Pierce was once an exciting fourth-round selection for the Houston Texans, paying off his draft selection by running for 900 yards in his rookie season. Going into year two, Pierce struggled with injury and poor offensive line play, giving the Texans the opportunity to look for a new RB1. Similar to the Chargers trade candidate, Allgeier, Pierce was eventually replaced, but this time by a veteran: Joe Mixon.
Now in year four of his tenure with the Texans, Pierce finds himself as a rotational runner who is splitting time with Rookie Woody Marks, Dare Ogunbowale, and veteran Nick Chubb. With the aforementioned Mixon on injured reserve with a lingering chance to return, Pierce could find himself traded away. Especially considering the Texans are struggling to begin the 2025 season.
The Chargers would be receiving a low-cost young runner with return experience. Pierce could very well turn his career around as a secondary runner behind Hampton, giving the Chargers an opportunity for a future compensatory selection to recoup the capital spent to acquire him in the first place.
Jaylen Wright – Dolphins Looking To Sell?
The final trade candidate for the Chargers is a player who brings a different skillset than what is currently on the roster. Jaylen Wright of the Dolphins was just drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, giving Dolphins fans excitement for his play behind De’Von Achane. That excitement has quickly dissipated after a disappointing rookie season and now a year two injury-riddled start to the season. Wright is reportedly back at practice, but now as the third runner behind the aforementioned Achane and rookie Ollie Gordon II.
The Dolphins’ grip on the NFL season seems to be slipping, and trading away assets could be the start of a rebuild. Wright could be one of those assets. On the Chargers’ end, they could look to swoop in and trade for the talented back, a speedster with major explosive ability who could help round out a weakened Chargers running back room.
The post Chargers Trade Candidates To Replace Najee Harris After Season-Ending Injury appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.