Omarion Hampton Injury News & Updates

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 has 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.

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 Week 10 after missing the minimum four games while on IR, the rookie running back hasn't made enough progress in his recovery from the ankle injury for the Chargers to open up his 21-day evaluation window. Hampton thus looks set to remain sidelined for three more weeks, with his earliest potential return date coming Nov. 30 against the Raiders if he's able to resume on-field work following the Chargers' bye. 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.

Hampton (ankle) remained in a walking boot following Thursday night's win over the Vikings, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Hampton has been on injured reserve since Week 5 and doesn't appear to be close to a return to action. At the time of his placement on injured reserve, it was reported that Hampton would likely miss more than the minimum four games. With Hampton, Najee Harris (Achilles) and Hassan Haskins (hamstring) out Thursday against Minnesota, Kimani Vidal had a career game with a 23-117-1 rushing line. He should continue operating as the Chargers' RB1 in the immediate future.

Hampton, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday due to a left ankle injury, isn't expected to be out for the season but is on track to be sidelined for more than the four-game minimum, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't provide many details about the injury Hampton sustained in the Week 5 loss to the Commanders, but the fact that the promising rookie is expected to need more than four weeks to make a full recovery points to him likely nursing a high-ankle sprain. A target date for Hampton's return has yet to be established, but because the Chargers have a bye coming up Week 12, the team could be motivated to hold him out through that period to give him ample time to heal. Garafolo notes that Hassan Haskins is likely to serve as the Chargers' lead back Sunday in Miami while practice-squad signee Kimani Vidal also sees work, but Los Angeles is also expected to be in the market for a running back ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline to compensate for the long-term injuries to Hampton and Najee Harris (Achilles).

The Chargers placed Hampton (ankle) on injured reserve Wednesday, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

With Hampton out for at least four games, the Chargers are signing Kimani Vidal to their active roster and Nyheim Miller-Hines to the practice squad. Vidal and Hassan Haskins split backfield snaps after Hampton's early exit from a loss to the Commanders this past Sunday.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that Hampton (ankle) will be placed on injured reserve in the coming days, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

It's another crushing blow to the Chargers' offense after the team already lost Najee Harris to a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 3. On top of the backfield injuries, Justin Herbert has been running for his proverbial life behind Los Angeles' swinging gate offensive line that is without starting LT Rashawn Slater (kneecap) for the season while right tackle-turned-left tackle Joe Alt (ankle) is week-to-week. With Hampton on the shelf for at least the next four games, the Chargers will be down to Hassan Haskins and practice-squad RBs Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson in the backfield.

Hampton, who was spotted in a walking boot after Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Commanders, is slated to undergo testing on his ankle Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hampton's status is thus worth monitoring carefully ahead of the Chargers' Oct. 12 game against the Dolphins, but if he's forced to miss time, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal (who has been elevated from the practice squad the last two weeks) would be next in line for Los Angeles' backfield touches.

Hampton (ankle) was spotted in the locker room with a walking boot on his left foot following Sunday's loss to the Commanders, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Hampton was injured in the fourth quarter against Washington and was unable to finish the contest. The Chargers already lost Najee Harris to a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 3, and it now appears Hampton will be nursing an ankle injury this week ahead of next Sunday's date with the Dolphins. If Hampton can't play against Miami, the Chargers will be down to Hassan Haskins and practice squad members Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson.

Hampton suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's contest versus the Commanders.

Hampton appeared to get clipped by a Washington defender while running a route out of the Chargers backfield in the fourth quarter and then went to the locker room with a trainer, per Kris Rhim of ESPN.com. If Hampton is unable to return, he'll wrap up Week 5 action with 12 carries for 44 yards and six catches (on six targets) for 26 yards. Hassan Haskins and practice-squad member Kimani Vidal are the other two available RBs on Los Angeles' active roster Sunday.

Hampton carried the ball 12 times for 128 yards and a touchdown and caught all five of his targets for 37 yards in Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Giants.

The rookie running back capped his huge performance with a 54-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter as the Chargers tried to mount a comeback. Hampton has erupted for 294 scrimmage yards and two TDs over the last two games as he takes over as the Chargers' unquestioned lead back in the absence of Najee Harris (Achilles), and he could be poised for big numbers once again in Week 5 against a Commanders defense that just got steamrolled for 181 combined yards and a score by Bijan Robinson.

Hampton is set to lead the Chargers backfield moving forward in the wake of Najee Harris' season-ending torn Achilles, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Harris suffered the non-contact injury with 5:12 remaining in the first half, and Hampton ended up getting most of the RB reps the rest of the way, finishing with 19 carries for 70 yards and one touchdown and six catches (on seven targets) for 59 yards. Hampton's output as a receiver helped him set a new career high in yards from scrimmage, and the TD marked the initial end-zone visit of the rookie first-round pick's career. Behind Hampton, Los Angeles has Hassan Haskins on the active roster and Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson on the practice squad, meaning the team likely will add to the position group in the near future. However, this is Hampton's backfield for the foreseeable future.

Hampton tallied 19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown in the 23-20 win over the Broncos on Sunday. He also caught six of seven targets for 59 yards.

Hampton exploded in a major way, but only after Najee Harris suffered a non-contact Achilles injury that is likely expected to keep him out all year. The rookie ran with a burst that's been missing over the young season, but he still finished under 4.0 yards per carry as the Broncos keyed in on stopping the run in the second half. Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal will likely see some platoon work to replace Harris in the coming weeks, but it was encouraging to see Hampton immediately fill the void as a pass-catching back given he profiles as the obvious best option currently on the roster.

Hampton carried the ball eight times for 24 yards and caught one of his two targets for an additional yard in the 20-9 win over the Raiders on Monday.

There wasn't a whole lot of positive takeaways for the rookie in this one. One week after leading the backfield in touches, Hampton split the carries evenly with Najee Harris at eight each and the veteran also chipped in with two receptions for 20 yards. Perhaps more crucially, a botched handoff on the Chargers' penultimate possession directly led to a fumble which gave the Raiders a modicum of life, and then Harris finished the ensuing series to ice the game. Hampton could turn things around Week 3 against a Broncos defense that just allowed 215 total yards to Jonathan Taylor.

Hampton rushed 15 times for 48 yards and caught both of his targets for 13 yards in Friday's 27-21 victory over Kansas City.

Hampton was deployed as the every-down starter Friday, generating 15 more combined touches than Najee Harris (eye). The team could have been easing Harris back after suffering an eye injury that held the back out for all of training camp and the preseason, but the stark difference in touches points the fantasy value arrow strongly in Hampton's direction to kick off the year. If the North Carolina product continues to dominate the backfield touches moving forward, he could prove to be an even greater draft day steal than managers originally hoped. Hampton's volume combined with a plus matchup against the Raiders next Monday make him a solid play in Week 2.

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 Hampto

Hampton carried the ball twice for 12 yards in Saturday's 23-22 preseason loss to the Rams.

Hampton played in one series with the rest of the Chargers' starters and logged gains of five and seven yards. More importantly, he was the only back to appear with the starting offensive unit, which included Justin Herbert. Hampton is likely to be a part of a rotation at the start of the regular season, though it remains to be seen if he is paired with Najee Harris (eye) or one of a few other running backs vying for a role in the team's backfield.

Hampton rushed twice for nine yards and wasn't targeted during the Chargers' 34-7 preseason win over the Lions in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

Hampton saw his two touches on Los Angeles' opening drive, which was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass from Trey Lance to Will Dissly. Hampton actually saw three carries overall during the possession, but what would have been his first official NFL rush attempt was wiped off the books by a defensive offsides penalty. The rookie first-round pick has been drawing rave reviews since he first stepped on the practice field this offseason, and he's likely to continue getting his fair share of opportunities throughout the Chargers' exhibition slate as he prepares for a presumptive lead-back role right at the onset of his pro career.

Coach Jim Harbaugh noted Tuesday that Hampton is in line to play in Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Lions, Eric Smith of the Chargers' official site reports.

While Harbaugh said that "veteran traditional starters" won't play in the contest, Hampton -- as well as rookie WRs Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith -- is slated to see snaps versus Detroit. Hampton, who was taken in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 22nd overall, is destined to play a key role this coming season in a Chargers backfield that also features Najee Harris, who is on the active/non-football injury list for the time being after sustaining an eye injury as the result of a fireworks mishap on the Fourth of July.

The Chargers selected Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 22nd overall.

Even with the Najee Harris acquisition this offseason, Hampton was too good a value to pass up for the Chargers given the way the board fell. Hampton was the definition of a workhorse at North Carolina with at least 250 carries in each of his final two seasons. He maintained a 5.9 YPC average in 2023 and 2024 despite the degree of difficulty being ratcheted up in 2024 with Drake Maye no longer there to threaten defenses through the air. At 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds with 4.46 speed, Hampton has a great combination of density, low center of gravity, and power to his game. He isn't a standout pass-catcher, but he improved in that regard year over year in Chapel Hill. His talent and his fit within a Chargers offense that emphasizes running the ball should excite fantasy managers. However, Harris' presence in that backfield could lead to a frustrating workload split in 2025.