Chargers RB Najee Harris ‘likely’ to begin training camp on non-football injury list after fireworks accident

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris will “likely” begin training camp on the non-football injury list after suffering an eye injury in a fireworks accident at a Fourth of July event, general manager Joe Hortiz told reporters on Wednesday. 

Harris, a former Pro Bowler who joined the Chargers as a free agent after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is expected to report to team headquarters on Wednesday after receiving treatment from doctors at Stanford, Hortiz said.

While Harris will begin camp on the NFI list, it may not be long before he returns to team activities. Following up on reports from the Chargers beat, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Harris’ trip to the NFI list is “expected to be a short stay.”

Harris, 27, was among a number of people injured in a fireworks accident at a Fourth of July event in his hometown of Antioch, Calif. Harris suffered what his representatives called a “superficial eye injury” as a result of a “fireworks mishap.”

“Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season,” Doug Hendrickson, Harris’ agent, said in a July 10 statement. 

Harris, who has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of his four seasons, signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal to join the Chargers in free agency after his time in Pittsburgh. Harris is one of just five running backs since 2000 to begin a career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and his 4,312 rushing yards since 2021 are the fifth-most in the league during that timeframe.