Najee Harris injury update: Chargers RB cleared for contact, hopes to play Week 1 vs. Chiefs after hurting eye
Harris, who was injured in a July 4 fireworks incident, told reporters he expects to play Friday
•
1 min read
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris has been cleared for contact ahead of the team's season opening game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which Harris may very well play in despite having suffered an eye injury in a fireworks accident in early July. News of Harris being cleared for contact was confirmed by Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh while speaking to reporters Monday.
Harbaugh said there was a "possibility" that Harris plays in Friday night's opener in Sao Paolo, and Harris himself told reporters he expects to play, citing how he has now practiced approximately five times as he ramps back up into football shape.
Najee Harris just spoke for a few minutes, said he’s expecting to play Friday but is “ramping up to it” and “see where it raises us.”
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) September 1, 2025
Video: pic.twitter.com/F0OoLWvMDC
"It's a humbling experience, obviously. But I still haven't really shaken it -- I'm still going through it, in a way," Harris said when asked what it was like to have football taken away from him by the injury. "Just that whole situation will just show you how things can change just as easy as you snap your finger. It's a blessing every day that we wake up, and I'm just happy that everybody's safe and we're alive."
2025 NFL predictions: Final record for all 32 teams, Super Bowl LX pick, playoff matchups and MVP winner
John Breech
Harris was among several injured in a fireworks accident at a July 4 event in Antioch, Calif., suffering what he said Monday was a "superficial" eye injury. Harris returned to practice on Aug. 12, but was limited to individual drills for much of training camp and the preseason.
Harris will look to make his debut as a Charger in the team's opener in Brazil, as he signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal to join the team in the offseason after starting his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
