Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Uneven rookie season ends in loss
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Hampton lost a yard on his only carry in the 16-3 wild-card loss Sunday to the Patriots.
The rookie was active for the postseason contest despite failing to practice both Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle injury, but the Chargers opted not to give Hampton any work as Kimani Vidal took all 11 of the team's other RB carries. It was a rollercoaster of a season for the 2025 first-round pick, as Hampton was thrust immediately into prominence Week 1 due to Najee Harris' eye injury and capped off a solid first month with an explosive 165 total yards on 17 touches Week 4 against the Giants. That game ended up being Hampton's only contest over 100 total yards the rest of the season, however, as the 22-year-old missed seven weeks due to a fractured ankle and returned to an offensive line completely in tatters by Week 14. The Chargers are certainly invested enough in Hampton to make him a sought-after fantasy asset in 2026, but the team will need to make a concerted effort to rebuild an offensive line that was decimated by injuries by the end of the season. Hampton is expected to have at least one complementary piece alongside him come next year, whether it be exclusive rights free agent Vidal, a cheaper veteran comparable to the aforementioned Harris or a combination of both.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Active versus New England
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Hampton (ankle) is listed as active for Sunday's night's playoff opener against the Patriots, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
After being listed as a non-participant both Wednesday and Thursday, Hampton -- who was sidelined in Week 18 -- was able to return to a limited practice Friday while sporting a brace on his right ankle, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. Though officially listed as questionable on Los Angles' final injury report, the running back subsequently noted that he planned to play Sunday. With the 2025 first-rounder's active status versus the Patriots now confirmed, Rhim previously indicated that the Chargers are expected to split their backfield workload between Hampton and Kimani Vidal, with Hassan Haskins and Jaret Patterson available in reserve.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Questionable, plans to play
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When asked about his chances of playing in Sunday night's postseason opener against the Patriots, Hampton (ankle) -- who is officially listed as questionable for the contest -- replied, "That's the plan," Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
After logging 'DNPs' both Wednesday and Thursday, Hampton was able to work in a limited fashion Friday while sporting a brace on his right ankle, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. While the running back's assessment of his potential availability this weekend is encouraging, his status will still need to be verified ahead of the Chargers' 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff. If Hampton ends up limited Sunday or even sidelined, added opportunities would be available for fellow RBs Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins and Jaret Patterson.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Officially questionable for Sunday
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Hampton (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's wild-card game at New England.
After not practicing Wednesday or Thursday, Hampton got back on the field Friday, per Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site, and the rookie first-round pick eventually went down as a limited participant, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Hampton thus has a chance to play for the first time since Week 17 due to an ankle injury, but his status won't be known until about 90 minutes before Sunday's 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins and Jaret Patterson would be the RBs to benefit this weekend if Hampton is inhibited or sidelined.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Spotted at practice Friday
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Hampton (ankle) was present for Friday's practice, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com, Hampton -- who was listed as a 'DNP' Wednesday and Thursday -- sported a brace on his right ankle during warmups Friday. Still, the running back's attendance for the session is a step in the right direction for him ahead of Sunday night's playoff opener against the Patriots. The Chargers' upcoming injury report will reveal Hampton's official game status, in any case.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Logs another missed practice
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Hampton (ankle) was listed as a non-participant in practice Thursday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Per Smith, offensive coordinator Greg Roman previously noted that Hampton would be "involved some" in Thursday's session, but that didn't equate to the running back -- who also didn't practice Wednesday -- being deemed an official participant. Hampton now has one more opportunity to log practice reps before the Chargers assign injury designations in advance of Sunday night's playoff opener against the Patriots. If he ends up limited or out this weekend, added backfield opportunities would be available for Kimani Vidal, Hassan Haskins and Jaret Patterson.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Expected to be involved in practice
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Offensive coordinator Greg Roman said that Hampton (ankle) will be "involved some" in practice Thursday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The Chargers' upcoming injury report will reveal the official participation level of Hampton, who didn't practice Wednesday. As for the running back's status for Sunday's playoff opener against the Patriots, Roman noted, "We're going to wait and see on that. He's working through his process with the medical group. He's engaged. He's ready mentally with the game plan."
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Jim Harbaugh said Justin Herbert will rest in Week 18 at Denver to get ready for the playoffs, and the Chargers will likely be cautious with Hampton as well. Even though he's played the past four games, Hampton missed seven games with an ankle injury, and the Chargers need him at 100 percent for the playoffs. Hampton did well against the Broncos in Week 3 with 19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown and six catches for 59 yards on seven targets for 24.9 PPR points, which was his breakout game. And I would start him as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues if we expected him to play a full game. But with Herbert out, Hampton should sit as well, and Fantasy managers should find an alternative at running back in Week 18.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Not practicing
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Hampton (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday.
There was no sign of injury during Saturday's 20-16 loss to the Texans, in which Hampton took 22 touches for 60 yards and a touchdown while playing 83 percent of snaps. Injury or not, Jim Harbaugh's announcement about resting Justin Herbert indicates that Hampton is highly unlikely to get a full workload this week. In fact, it's not clear the rookie will play at all, potentially opening up a starting opportunity for Kimani Vidal (neck), Hassan Haskins (head) or Jaret Patterson.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Hefty pass-catching role in loss
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Hampton rushed 14 times for 29 yards and a touchdown and brought in all eight targets for 31 yards in the Chargers' 20-16 loss to the Texans on Saturday.
As his final line suggests, Hampton repeatedly ran into a proverbial brick wall against the Texans' nearly impenetrable front. However, the rookie finished with a team-high reception total while also co-leading the Chargers in targets, and he gave his day a serious boost by recording a five-yard touchdown run with just under four minutes remaining. Hampton's average of 2.1 yards per carry was a new career low, and he's stuck with another unenviable matchup in a Week 18 road clash against the Broncos.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Serves as lead back in win
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Hampton rushed 15 times for 61 yards and brought in his only target for four yards in the Chargers' 16-13 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.
Hampton outpaced backfield mate Kimani Vidal by three carries and 28 rushing yards while also recording a game-long 26-yard run. The rookie upped his workload by one over that of his Week 14 return from an ankle injury, but the workload between both backs may vary week to week down the stretch as head coach Jim Harbaugh looks to keep both players fresh.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Has 50/50 split in return
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Hampton (ankle) carried the ball 13 times for 56 yards and also caught both of his targets for 11 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers' 22-19 overtime win over the Eagles on Monday.
Kimani Vidal got the start, but Hampton quickly was brought back into the fold after missing the past seven games due to an ankle injury, finishing with an even distribution of the 30 touches from the backfield. It's unclear if that was a counter to Philadelphia's ferocious front seven, or if the duo of Vidal and Hampton will truly have an even split moving forward, but the rookie 2025 first-round pick did have the most explosive of the carries (long of 18 yards). Up next is another difficult matchup against a Kansas City defense fighting for their playoff lives.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Active versus Eagles
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Hampton (ankle) is listed as active for Monday night's game against the Eagles, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Hampton, who suffered a left ankle fracture Week 5 and was officially activated from IR on Monday, thus is slated to rejoin a Chargers backfield that was led by Kimani Vidal in his absence, with Hassan Haskins also available in a reserve capacity. Prior to his injury, Hampton had emerged as a key cog in the team's offense, so look for the 2025 first-rounder -- who logged 66 carries for 314 yards and two TDs and caught 20 of his 22 targets for 126 yards in five games prior to his injury -- to get his share of touches versus Philadelphia while working in tandem with Vidal.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Questionable for Monday, still on IR
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Hampton (ankle) is listed as questionable for Monday's game versus the Eagles, but he remains on injured reserve.
After Hampton logged a full practice Friday, it signaled that he was closing in on his first game action since Week 5, when he suffered a fracture in his left ankle. On Saturday, numerous NFL insiders, including Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, reported that the Chargers were expected to activate Hampton from injured reserve for Week 14. Now that Hampton is deemed questionable, such a procedural move will need to take place by Monday afternoon for him to have a chance to return. Assuming that comes to pass, Hampton is a good bet to retake most of the RB reps from Kimani Vidal, who has dominated Los Angeles' backfield during the former's seven-game absence.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Logs full practice Friday
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Hampton (ankle) practiced fully Friday.
Prior to Friday's uncapped session, Hampton had been listed as limited on the Chargers' previous four injury reports, so he's drawing ever closer to his first game action since he suffered a fracture in his left ankle Week 5. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Hampton even was wearing a normal blue jersey and took part in the red-zone walkthrough Friday, yet another sign that he's trending in the right direction. Saturday's practice report will reveal if Hampton has a designation for a Week 14 matchup versus the Eagles, but Los Angeles will need to activate him from injured reserve by Monday afternoon in order for him to have a chance to log Week 14 action.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Trending in right direction for MNF
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When asked Wednesday about the potential return of Hampton (ankle) for Monday night's game against the Eagles, coach Jim Harbaugh said "that question will be answered as the week unfolds...but what can I tell you, he's on track and looking good," Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Hampton's 21-day practice window was opened last Tuesday, but the running back wasn't activated for Sunday's win over the Raiders after being limited at practice Wednesday through Friday. Added context regarding Hampton's Week 14 status will arrive via this Thursday's injury report, but it appears as though he's nearing a return to his first game action since Week 5.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Back at practice, limited Wednesday
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Hampton (ankle) was limited in his return to practice Wednesday, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.
Hampton, who last saw game action in Week 5 when he sustained a fractured ankle, was designated to return from IR on Tuesday, which has the running back trending in the right direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Raiders. Per Smith, Hampton's Week 13 availability presumably hinges on how he fares this week at practice, but for his part, the 2025 first-rounder is anxious to return to the lineup. "They haven't told me yet, but I'm waiting to find out. Whatever my doc says," Hampton noted Wednesday. "I want to, for sure. But it's whatever the doc says." In any case, in order for Hampton to be available versus Las Vegas, he'd need to be activated from IR by Saturday afternoon.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Set to split work with Vidal?
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Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Wednesday that Hampton (ankle) and Kimani Vidal likely will be deployed in "some sort of 1-2 punch," Alex Insdorf of BoltBeat.com reports.
The good news for Hampton's fantasy managers is that Roman talked about the rookie as if he is ready to return for Sunday's matchup with Las Vegas. The bad news is that Roman suggested Vidal will remain involved, with the stipulation that the Chargers will "play that one by ear." Of course, the team's plan for Hampton's first game back from injured reserve won't necessarily be the plan for the rest of the season. Before any of that happens, he'll need to prove his health and fitness on the practice field.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Working on side Friday
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Hampton (ankle) is working off to the side at Friday's practice, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
Hampton won't be listed as a participant in practice, but his ability to work in any capacity is an encouraging step in the right direction as the rookie running back recovers from an ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve. Hampton has already spent the requisite four weeks on IR, but coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier in the week that Hampton isn't expected to return until after the Chargers' Week 12 bye.
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Chargers' Omarion Hampton: Will miss at least two more games
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Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that Hampton (ankle) isn't expected to be designated for return from injured reserve until after the team's Week 12 bye, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.
Though Hampton is eligible to resume practicing in Week 10, the rookie running back hasn't made enough progress in his recovery from an ankle injury for the Chargers to open up his 21-day evaluation window. Hampton looks set to remain sidelined for at least three more weeks, with his earliest potential return date coming Sunday, Nov. 30 against the Raiders. Los Angeles is expected to proceed with Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson as its main options out of the backfield for at least the next two games.
