REPORT: Los Angeles Chargers are fishing around the league for a trade at running back

Travis Wakeman

REPORT: Los Angeles Chargers are fishing around the league for a trade at running back image

The Los Angeles Chargers are looking to trade for a running back. This was reported on Saturday evening by NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo

This news should come as a surprise to no one. The Chargers are in dire straits at the running back position following a season-ending injury to Najee Harris and having to put impressive-looking rookie Omarion Hampton on injured reserve

This leaves the team with only Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal at running back with Nyheim Hines and Amar Johnson on the practice squad. For a team that had Super Bowl aspirations following a 3-0 start, these have been crushing blows. 

The Chargers are looking for a team to send them a running back prior to this year's November 4 trade deadline. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is going to be a name that is mentioned in connection with the Chargers, but in a separate report on Saturday, it was said that Kamara is not expected to be moved

There are some more reasonable options listed here. The Chargers are desperate for another option in their offensive backfield, but most teams aren't sitting on a bunch of capable players at that position, so the pickings will likely be slim. 

With that said, general manager Joe Hortiz needs to find a deal as the quartet of Haskins, Vidal, Hines and Johnson will likely be a low-producing group, placing much more pressure on quarterback Justin Herbert. 

Things will look better for the team when Hampton can return to the lineup, as he was beginning to find his groove, but the team needs to surround him with better support as well. 

Can the team find a deal?

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.