UPDATE (7:43 PM): Per Los Angeles Charges head coach Jim Harbaugh, initial tests indicate ex-Steelers RB Najee Harris suffered a torn Achilles. Once that diagnosis is confirmed, Harris will miss the rest of the season.
https://twiter.com/danielrpopper/status/1969910129861763299
Per OTC’s Nick Korte, this won’t impact the Steelers’ 2026 compensatory selection outlook.
Our original story is below.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers and current Los Angeles Chargers RB Najee Harris suffered a potentially severe Achilles injury in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. The injury happened in the second quarter, with Harris going down in the backfield without any contact. He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg, was helped off the field by trainers and then was carted into the locker room.
You could see a visible pop in Harris’ left calf, a telltale sign that he suffered a serious Achilles injury.
He was visibly upset after going down with the injury.
Currently, the Chargers are listing Harris’ injury as an ankle injury, but the pop in his calf makes it likely that it is indeed an Achilles injury. He was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game.
Harris is in his first season with the Chargers after spending the last four with the Steelers. He ran for four straight 1,000-yard seasons as a member of the Steelers, but had gotten off to a slow start in Los Angeles with nine carries for 33 yards in his first two games. He was off to a good start against Denver, with six carries for 28 yards before exiting with an injury.
The Steelers selected Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, but the team opted not to pick up his fifth-year option, which led to him hitting the open market last offseason.
The injury to Harris could potentially also affect Pittsburgh’s compensation pick from losing him. Harris’ deal was incentive-laden, and if he misses a significant period of time or the rest of the season, then it would downgrade the pick the Steelers get from Los Angeles signing Harris. Given the visible pop, it’s likely that Harris’ season will be over.
The Chargers drafted RB Omarion Hampton in the first round, and Hampton got most of the work throughout training camp and the preseason as Harris dealt with an eye injury suffered in a freak fireworks accident on the Fourth of July. He never missed a game due to injury in his career with the Steelers, which is exceedingly rare for a running back. The Week 3 matchup was the 71st consecutive game that Harris played, but unfortunately, it appears as if that streak won’t continue.
If Harris did suffer a severe Achilles injury, then it also means he won’t play in Pittsburgh’s Week 10 matchup against the Chargers. His loss is a blow to the Chargers’ backfield, which currently only has Hassan Haskins behind Hampton with Harris currently out. They do have RB Kimani Vidal on their practice squad, and Vidal could be signed to the active roster if Harris’ injury is as severe as it seems to be.
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