EL SEGUNDO — Najee Harris has been cleared to take part in full-contact follow, leaving the operating again a risk to play within the Los Angeles Chargers’ season opener Friday towards 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 damage/sickness record forward of coaching camp. In consequence, he couldn’t be on the sector with the crew. As an alternative, he labored on the sideline with a private coach.
Harris mentioned Monday after follow that his imaginative and prescient wasn’t affected by the mishap and known as the damage “superficial.”
Requested if he would play Friday, he mentioned, “I’m ramping up to it. I’m feeling good though, and we’ll just see where it leads.”
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 sport in his NFL profession
Coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned 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 concerning the mishap in Antioch throughout a Fourth of July celebration. He known as it “a humbling experience.”
“Just that whole situation, it just shows you how things can change in just the snap of a finger,” he mentioned. “It’s a blessing every day that we wake up, and I’m just happy that everybody is safe and we’re alive.”
The mishap occurred about 12:20 a.m. July 5, within the 2200 block of Spanos Avenue, and injured multiple particular person. In a press release, Antioch police mentioned among the injured had been handled on the scene and hospitalized. Others drove themselves to a hospital, police mentioned.
In July, Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman Sports activities, issued a press release 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 didn’t put on a visor whereas taking part in for the Steelers. He’s saved his eyes protected throughout exercises, resulting in hypothesis that he’s hiding one thing. He wore sun shades whereas talking exterior on Monday.
“It’s not my job to care what other people think,” he mentioned. “It’s my job to do what I got to do.”
Harbaugh mentioned extensive receiver Quentin Johnston has cleared concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion within the crew’s second preseason sport towards the Los Angeles Rams, which left him immobile on the sector for a number of seconds.
“I did all the tests and everything was cool, so I got up and moved on from it,” he mentioned.
Initially Printed: September 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM PDT
