Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Set to start over Harris on Friday

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Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told Rich Eisen in a pre-broadcast meeting that Hampton is in line to draw the start over fellow running back Najee Harris in Friday's game against the Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Alex Insdorf of BoltBeat.com reports.

Even though the Chargers invested a first-round pick in him in April's draft, Hampton was initially expected to open the season in the No. 2 role behind Harris, who signed with Los Angeles in March following four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in Pittsburgh to begin his career. However, after Harris suffered a superficial eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks accident that kept him from practicing throughout training camp and the preseason, Hampton was able to pick up extended reps with the first-team offense and is now poised to take the field for the Chargers' first snap of 2025. Despite his designation as the Week 1 starter, however, Hampton won't necessarily be guaranteed a three-down workload, as Harris gained clearance for the season opener following three consecutive full practices this week. Per Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site, Harbaugh wasn't willing to go into specifics Wednesday regarding how the snaps and touches might be distributed between Hampton and Harris, though Hampton likely projects as the more reliable option of the two in fantasy lineups since he's been able to get more reps under his belt throughout the summer. A clearer idea regarding the weekly workload breakdown between the two backs may not become apparent until after a few games, when Harris should be fully reconditioned and free of limitations stemming from the eye injury.