Najee Harris will begin training camp on the non-football injury/illness (NFI) list after suffering a fireworks-related injury on the Fourth of July, the Los Angeles Chargers announced Thursday.
Chargers general manager Joe Horitz told reporters on Wednesday that it was likely the veteran running back would end up on the NFI list. However, Horitz is expecting Harris to return sooner rather than later.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Hortiz said of Harris’ status.
After several days of internet speculation and rumors, Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson, confirmed that he suffered a “superficial eye injury” during a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July, in a statement released on July 10.
Harris has received treatment from doctors at Stanford Health Care and has remained in the Bay Area as the incident took place in Antioch, California, Horitz shared. Even though the Chargers have yet to see Harris since the incident, Horitz stated that they’ve been in contact and everything Harris’ doctors have told the team has been “positive.”
The Chargers can remove Harris from the NFI list once he’s medically cleared to return. However, he’ll have to miss the first four games of the regular season if he’s still on the list when teams are mandated to cut their rosters down to 53 players in late August.
Hendrickson said that Harris is expected to be “fully ready” for the 2025 season.
Harris was one of five people injured in the incident, according to the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. A friend of Harris’ lost his fingers in the mishap, ESPN later reported.
The Chargers signed Harris to a one-year contract worth $5.25 million in guaranteed money in March. The 27-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, rushing for at least 1,000 yards each year. Los Angeles also drafted North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton with its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, reshaping its backfield after a playoff appearance in 2024.
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