Running back Najee Harris practiced with his Los Angeles Chargers teammates on Wednesday for the first time since training camp opened in July, and he got cleared for contact work on Monday. But the former Alabama All-American still is expecting to play when Los Angeles kicks off the season against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night.
“I’m ramping up to it, yeah,” Harris said on Monday. “Every day I practice -- well, I think it’s just like probably my fifth day of practice. You know, just trying to get back in that football shape. But, yeah, I’m feeling good, though, and we’ll just see where it leads.”
During his Monday press conference, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said “there’s a possibility” that Harris could play.
“Just keep taking it one day at a time,” Harbaugh said. “… He’s looked good in practice and got a really good awareness of what we’re doing, the situations. And then physically, he’s done very well as well.”
Harris had been unable to practice with his teammates because the Chargers had placed him on the non-football injury list as he recovered from an eye injury sustained in an Independence Day celebration fireworks mishap.
When asked on Monday what had happened, Harris said, “I don’t know.”
The Antioch (California) Police Department issued a statement about the incident in which Harris was injured:
“On July 5, at approximately 12:18 a.m., the Antioch Police Department dispatch center received multiple calls reporting an explosion on the 2200 block of Spanos Street. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the aftermath of an explosion caused by fireworks.
“Antioch PD officers, ConFire and AMR provided medical aid and triaged the patients. Several victims had already left the scene before the first responders’ arrival and were treated at local hospitals.”
On July 10, Harris’ agent issued a statement that said the running back had “sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
The specific nature of Harris’ injury has not been announced by the Chargers. On Monday, Harris also referred to the injury as “superficial” and said his vision had not been affected.
Harris was told the time that it took for him to return to practice, the tinted visor on his helmet since returning and the dark glasses he was wearing for Monday’s interview invited skepticism about that description of his injury.
“I don’t care,” Harris said. “I honestly don’t. It’s not my job to care what other people think. It’s my job to do what I got to do. So they could write what they want, say what they want, I personally don’t care.”
Harris said he’s thankful to be back on the football field.
“It’s a humbling experience, obviously,” Harris said. “But it still hasn’t really shaken. I’m still going through it in a way. So just that whole situation, it’ll just show you how things can change in just a snap of the finger. It’s a blessing every day that we wake up, and I’m just happy that everybody’s safe and we’re alive.”
Since sustaining the injury, Harris said he had tried to stay ready for when he came off the non-football injury list.
“Just recovering, getting in shape -- just trying to stay in shape, I mean,” Harris said. “Just trying to stay on top of the playbook, just trying to have the same resume while being from a different position now. Obviously, I was on NFI, so it kind of makes things a little more difficult. Obviously, can’t be on the field and stuff, so just trying to have the same schedule, but just not with the team.”
A first-round draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after a record-breaking season for Alabama’s undefeated CFP national-championship team in 2020, Harris started every game over the past four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harris joined the Chargers in free agency for a one-year, fully guaranteed $5.25 million contract in March after his rookie contract with Pittsburgh expired.
Los Angeles kicks off its season against the Kansas City Chiefs at 7 p.m. CDT Friday at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil. YouTube TV will televise the game.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at@AMarkG1.
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