The Los Angeles Chargers entered the offseason determined to fix a ground game that sputtered through most of 2024. J.K. Dobbins flashed briefly, but injuries once again derailed his impact. Enter Najee Harris — a former first-round pick brought in on a short-term deal to add experience, volume, and stability to a backfield in flux.
Harris, still only 27, arrives in Los Angeles with four straight 1,000-yard seasons under his belt — and a lot to prove. While he’s never quite lived up to his draft billing in Pittsburgh, there’s a belief around the league that a change of scenery, a different scheme, and better quarterback play could unlock a more efficient version of the powerful back.
Breakout Predicted for Chargers’ Najee Harris, With Big Caveat
Bill Barnwell of ESPN framed Harris as a potential bounce-back candidate in his recent piece “NFL Offseason Signings, Trades Who Could Break Out – or Flop.” Barnwell noted that while Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry thrived after escaping struggling teams, Harris could follow that same arc. The move from Pittsburgh to L.A. brings him into a better offensive context — especially at quarterback — and a scheme better suited to his strengths.
Los Angeles ranked just 25th in expected yards per carry last season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, compared to Pittsburgh’s 16th. But the Chargers made key upgrades, including the addition of massive former Jets lineman Mekhi Becton, who will step in at right guard. More importantly for Harris, the Chargers’ power-heavy, gap-run concepts under Jim Harbaugh may suit him far more than the Steelers’ zone schemes, which often felt mismatched to his physical style. Harris’ most effective stretch in Pittsburgh came in late 2023, when interim coordinator Eddie Faulkner leaned into gap runs — a trend L.A. is expected to follow.
However, the optimism is tempered.
As Barnwell pointed out, Harris has been a volume-heavy, low-efficiency runner for most of his career. Among running backs with at least 600 carries since 2021, Harris ranks dead last in success rate (36.2%) and second to last in cumulative rushing EPA. Even within Pittsburgh’s system, teammate Jaylen Warren consistently outproduced him across nearly every advanced metric, including rush yards over expectation and first downs generated.
Now, Harris faces immediate competition from rookie Omarion Hampton, the Chargers’ first-round pick and a player PFF ranked ahead of Harris on his top-32 RB list (No. 24 vs. No. 26). Hampton arrives with elite college production, an impressive 4.46 speed, and the physical tools to take over the lead role sooner rather than later. While the backfield will likely begin as a timeshare, it’s hard to imagine Hampton not earning more touches as the season progresses.
From a fantasy and football standpoint, the addition of Hampton might be a blessing in disguise for Harris — reducing his workload could help preserve his efficiency, which historically drops off in the second half of games. But ultimately, this might be Harris’ best-case scenario: a solid contributor in a rotational role, with a chance to be more effective in smaller doses.
There’s still value in what Harris brings to the table — particularly in short-yardage and pass protection — but the Chargers aren’t expecting a franchise centerpiece. They’re betting on a veteran who can stabilize the room while the real future of the position comes into his own.
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