EL SEGUNDO — Najee Harris has been cleared to participate in full-contact practice, leaving the running back a possibility to play in the Los Angeles Chargers’ season opener Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil.
Harris injured his eye in a July 4 fireworks mishap in his hometown of Antioch, putting him on the non-football injury/illness list ahead of training camp. As a result, he couldn’t be on the field with the team. Instead, he worked on the sideline with a personal trainer.
Harris said Monday after practice that his vision wasn’t affected by the mishap and called the injury “superficial.”
Asked if he would play Friday, he said, “I’m ramping up to it. I’m feeling good though, and we’ll just see where it leads.”
Harris, who starred at Antioch High School and Alabama before he was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021, has never missed a game in his NFL career
Coach Jim Harbaugh said 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 provide details about the mishap that occurred in his hometown of Antioch during a Fourth of July celebration. He called it “a humbling experience.”
“Just that whole situation, it just shows you how things can change in just the snap of a finger,” he said. “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 happened about 12:20 a.m. July 5, in the 2200 block of Spanos Street, and injured more than one person. In a statement, Antioch police said some of the injured were treated at the scene and hospitalized. Others drove themselves to a hospital, police said.
In July, Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman Sports, issued a statement 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 wear a visor while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s kept his eyes protected during workouts, leading to speculation that he’s hiding something. He wore sunglasses while speaking outside on Monday.
“It’s not my job to care what other people think,” he said. “It’s my job to do what I got to do.”
Harbaugh said wide receiver Quentin Johnston has cleared concussion protocol. He suffered a concussion in the team’s second preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, which left him motionless on the field for several seconds.
“I did all the tests and everything was cool, so I got up and moved on from it,” he said.