The one running back who could save the Chargers (if the team lets him)

Najee Harris tore his Achilles in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos and instantly put the LA Chargers' running back depth to the test. Harris' short Chargers tenure has been full of question marks and ended before it really even got started.

Rookie first-round pick Omarion Hampton will now assume full-time starting duties but he cannot do it alone. While the Chargers will find a hard time finding a true running mate like Harris was, the team needs to find someone who can keep Hampton fresh across the first 17-game season of his football career.

While external options will naturally be explored, there is one solution who is right under the team's nose. 2024 sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal may end up being the Bolts' savior at the wide receiver position... if the team let's him, of course.

Chargers must turn to Kimani Vidal first to replace Najee Harris

Head coach Jim Harbaugh did say on Monday that Vidal is going to be the next man up for the Chargers after Harris' injury. However, in the same breath, Harbaugh also said that general manager Joe Hortiz is going to scour the market for external options.

Hortiz and Harbaugh should see how much juice Vidal can bring to the table before exploring those options. The NFL trade deadline is weeks away and the external options won't suddenly disappear. They owe it to Vidal to try him out first.

Perhaps it's the pre-draft honeymoon phase that is speaking, but Vidal has legitimate potential that the Chargers are yet to tap into. Vidal was one of the most productive two-way running backs in the entire 2024 class with shades of Austin Ekeler (even down to the number he decided to wear).

Vidal got some run with the Chargers in 2025, which was underwhelming, but the sample size is far too small to write him off after just one year. He carried the ball 43 times for 155 yards (3.6 yards per attempt) while adding five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.

That lone touchdown was a beautiful wheel route in his first-career game against the Broncos last season. He wasted no time showing the potential.

Is there a world in which Vidal flops when given a larger role on the Chargers? Absolutely. Thankfully, the Chargers are entering a stretch of the season where they can afford less out of the RB2 and lean more heavily on Hampton.

The New York Giants are a disaster. No team should be overlooked in the NFL, but the Chargers don't need a stout second running back to beat the Giants. Plus, New York ranks second-to-last in rushing yards allowed per game this season.

Then the Bolts take on the Washington Commanders, potentially with a compromised Jayden Daniels, at home. That is a tougher matchup, but Washington ranked 23rd in passing yards allowed per game. That may be a throw-heavy game anyway.

The Chargers then have another road game against the Miami Dolphins, who have an awful defense and may have a different head coach by Week 6.

There is a comfortable three-way window for the Chargers to give Vidal a full college try as the RB2. If Vidal struggles, then the Bolts can pivot and bring in external help. But for now, the Chargers should trust the potential of Vidal to save the run game.