Following four seasons with the Steelers, Najee Harris became an unrestricted free agent. The 27-year-old did not receive a long-term deal. Instead, he signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Chargers.
NFL training camps will start to take place at the end of July. Ahead of that time, players are taking vacations and preparing for the upcoming battle of the NFL season. Just last Friday was July 4, and there was reportedly a minor accident with Chargers’ RB Najee Harris. He suffered a superficial eye injury from a fireworks injury on July 4. However, his agent Doug Hendrickson said Harris is expected to be ready for the start of 2025.
Najee Harris suffered an eye injury from fireworks on the 4th of July
Breaking: Chargers RB Najee Harris sustained a superficial eye injury during a 4th of July fireworks mishap, sources tell @AdamSchefter.
He is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season. pic.twitter.com/bT5Pclspxh
— ESPN (@espn) July 10, 2025
Fireworks are a yearly tradition around the country for July 4th. It’s a time for families to sit back and enjoy the night sky light up with vibrant colors. With fireworks comes the risk of injury, and it can become a dangerous process. That’s exactly what happened to Steelers’ Najee Harris last week. NFL insiders reported that there was a fireworks mishap and Chargers RB Najee Harris suffered a superficial eye injury.
Harris’ agent Doug Hendrickson noted that “several attendees” suffered injuries. One man even went to the hospital after he lost a finger. Harris was extremely lucky that something major did not happen to him. NFL fans can remember former Giants and Buccaneers DE Jason Pierre-Paul’s incident from 2015. He lost 2.5 fingers from a dangerous fireworks injury.
Statement from agent Doug Hendrickson on his client Chargers RB Najee Harris: “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…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 10, 2025
Luckily, Piere-Paul was able to overcome the hand injury and played another seven years. Los Angeles was incredibly fortunate that Najee Harris did not suffer a serious injury. That could have jeopardized his 2025 season. He is the veteran RB for the Chargers. In each of his first four seasons with the Steelers, Harris rushed for at least 1,000 yards.
The Chargers haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Melvin Gordon in 2017. We’ll see how heavily the LA relies on Harris in 2025. They used first-round draft capital to select Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. When a team uses a first-round pick on an RB, that signifies they’re looking to make a change. Najee Harris could begin the season as LA’s starter, but Omarion Hampton will be knocking on the doorstep.
