EL SEGUNDO — Working again Najee Harris has been cleared to take part in full-contact apply, leaving the working again a risk to play within the Los Angeles Chargers’ season opener Friday in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Brazil.
Harris injured his eye in a July 4 fireworks mishap in his hometown of Antioch, placing him on the non-football harm/sickness record forward of coaching camp. Consequently, he couldn’t be on the sphere with the crew, and as a substitute, he labored on the sideline with a private coach.
Harris, who starred at Antioch Excessive Faculty and Alabama earlier than he was drafted within the first spherical by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, has by no means missed a recreation in his NFL profession. He stated Monday after apply that his imaginative and prescient wasn’t affected by the mishap and referred to as the harm “superficial.”
Requested if he would play Friday, Harris stated, “I’m ramping up to it. This is my fifth day of practice. Just trying to get into that football shape. I’m feeling good, and we’ll just see where it leads.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh stated Harris has “looked really good in practice. We’ll just take it one day at a time. Has a really good awareness of what we’re doing.”
Harris declined to offer particulars Monday concerning the mishap in Antioch throughout a Fourth of July celebration, saying, “I don’t want to go into that.”
The mishap occurred about 12:20 a.m. July 5, within the 2200 block of Spanos Road, and injured a couple of individual. In an announcement on the time, Antioch police stated among the injured have been handled on the scene and hospitalized. Others drove themselves to a hospital, police stated.
In July, Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman Sports activities, issued an announcement saying, “Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees. Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
Harris referred to as it “a humbling experience.”
“I’m still going through it in a way,” he stated. “That whole situation can show you how things can change in the snap of a finger. It’s a blessing every day that we wake up. I’m just happy everybody’s safe and we’re alive.”
“Just recovering, getting in shape – just staying in shape, I mean,” Harris added. “Just trying to stay on top of the playbooks.”
Harris didn’t put on a visor whereas taking part in for the Steelers. He’s stored his eyes protected throughout exercises, resulting in hypothesis that he’s hiding one thing. He wore sun shades whereas talking outdoors on Monday.
“It’s not my job to care what other people think,” he stated. “It’s my job to do what I got to do.”
Harbaugh stated broad receiver Quentin Johnston has cleared concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion within the crew’s second preseason recreation in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams, which left him immobile on the sphere for a number of seconds.
“I did all the tests and everything was cool, so I got up and moved on from it,” he stated.
Initially Revealed: September 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM PDT
