EL SEGUNDO — Running back 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, and instead, he worked on the sideline with a personal trainer.
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. He said Monday after practice that his vision wasn’t affected by the mishap and called the injury “superficial.”
Asked if he would play Friday, Harris said, “I’m ramping up to it. This is my fifth day of practice. Just trying to get into that football shape. I’m feeling good, and we’ll just see where it leads.”
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 Monday about the mishap in Antioch during a Fourth of July celebration, saying, “I don’t want to go into that.”
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 at the time, 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 called it “a humbling experience.”
“I’m still going through it in a way,” he said. “That whole situation can show you how things can change in the snap of a finger. It’s a blessing every day that we wake up. I’m just happy everybody’s safe and we’re alive.”
“Just recovering, getting in shape – just staying in shape, I mean,” Harris added. “Just trying to stay on top of the playbooks.”
Harris didn’t wear a visor while playing for the 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.
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“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.