Najee Harris became the latest name on a growing list of NFL players to suffer from a Fourth of July mishap. According to agent Doug Hendrickson, Harris sustained a “superficial eye injury” during an Independence Day celebration gone wrong. The explosive moment didn’t just affect Harris—several others were hurt too. While NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted that Harris is still “fully expected” to suit up for the season, the headlines have already started to worry Bolt Fam.
Meanwhile, more details are starting to paint a vivid picture. The early morning hours of July 5 were anything but quiet in Antioch, California. Around 12:18 a.m., the Antioch Police received multiple calls about an explosion on Spanos Street. Harris, who’s originally from Martinez and went to high school in Antioch, rushed to John Muir Hospital before being transferred to Stanford. A peaceful celebration had suddenly turned into a medical emergency.
Naturally, that’s sparked plenty of concern around Jim Harbaugh‘s camp. During a segment of Broncos Breakdown, Chat Sports host Trace Moustakas didn’t hold back his thoughts. “I just want to take the time to like at least bring up Najee Harris now on the Chargers because I feel like Najee is one of those underrated running backs, you know, since he’s entered the league, he’s been a consistent 1,000 yard rusher. I mean, he’s basically copy paste from 2022 to 2024,” he said before talking about the injury.
And it’s true. In four years with the Steelers, he never dipped below 1,000 rushing yards. Just last season, he racked up 1,043 yards and six touchdowns. Not to forget—his rookie season in 2021 saw him make the Pro Bowl with 1,200 yards and 10 TDs. But Moustakas’ voice shifted when he mentioned the injury. “The story that I read said that this was way more harmful than what was being reported by Adam Schefter,” he added. “One of the stories that I read said that Najee Harris could potentially be blind in one eye or partially blind in one eye. So do we actually know the truth? Is it that big of a deal? Not necessarily, but it is AFC West news.”
Image Credits: Social Media, taken from Instagram @Najee Harris
Soon after the incident, Bolt Fam instantly drew flashbacks to Jason Pierre-Paul’s 2015 accident—where the former Giants star lost multiple fingers to a fireworks incident. Former Bucs DB C.J. Wilson had it even worse, losing two fingers that same July. Now, the question is haunting The Lightning Bolts’ locker room—what if Najee isn’t ready? What happens next?
Jim Harbaugh’s potential backup plan amid Najee Harris’ eye injury
So if Najee Harris isn’t ready to go, who steps up for the Bolts? That question is already circling among the Powder Blue faithful. The most obvious answer: first-round rookie Omarion Hampton. He had a strong college résumé and showed off real burst, but handing a rookie the keys to Jim Harbaugh’s offense this early would be a gamble. Especially with training camp just weeks away, where every rep counts in building rhythm and learning the system.
Still, there’s a little comfort in the latest update. Harris’ agent described the injury as “superficial” and told Ian Rapoport the running back is “fully expected” to be ready for the season. That should ease some of the panic in SoCal. Sure, eye injuries can be unpredictable, but right now, this doesn’t look like the kind of setback that ruins a season before it starts.
And that’s a relief, because Harris was one of the smartest offseason moves by the Chargers front office. His north-south style, relentless physicality, and track record of consistent production make him the exact kind of runner Harbaugh’s offense thrives with. If he stays healthy, Harris could finally be the answer to LA’s long-running ground game problem.
Until then, all eyes in Thunder Alley will stay on his recovery. As training camp looms, the hope is that this fireworks scare ends up being nothing more than a footnote.
The post Chargers News: Najee Harris’ Eye Injury Sparks Concern For Jim Harbaugh Amid Reported Risk of Vision Loss appeared first on EssentiallySports.
