Chargers' Omarion Hampton RB battle with Najee Harris gets huge update from NFL insider

Billy Heyen

Chargers' Omarion Hampton RB battle with Najee Harris gets huge update from NFL insider image

The Los Angeles Chargers have an intriguing running back situation on their hands.

That was already true right at the moment they chose Omarion Hampton in the NFL Draft out of North Carolina.

It became more true when free agent signee Najee Harris sustained an eye injury on the Fourth of July due to a fireworks incident.

And now, with the regular season less than two weeks away, it's only heating up more.

Harris is expected to be good to go in Week 1, but his absence for most of the summer has changed up the depth chart.

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Here's what Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer wrote on Monday:

"It’s good to hear Najee Harris is healthy and trending toward playing in September. But it looks like his absence left the door open for Omarion Hampton to make the Chargers’ tailback job his own, and my sense is Hampton’s done just that."

Hampton is an immense talent who had a remarkable career for the Tar Heels.

Now, he's in a great offensive system to shine. Jim Harbaugh loved to lean on the running game in his first season as Chargers head coach.

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It probably looked like a great spot for Harris to head in free agency for that reason exactly.

But it may now be Hampton who reaps the largest rewards here.

Fantasy football players are surely intrigued by Hampton, who is one of those rookie RBs who can really shine right off the back if given the opportunity.

And it sure seems like he'll be given plenty of opportunity.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle