After bursting onto the NFL scene in a major way fresh off a collegiate run at North Carolina, Omarion Hampton's rookie campaign has been sidelined with an ankle injury, leading to real questions about the Los Angeles Chargers' rushing offense moving forward.
Announcing the news during his post-Week 5 press conference following a 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders, head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that Hampton would be heading to IR, sidelining him for the next four weeks, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The second running back to come off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft, landing in LA with the 22nd overall pick, Hampton has been a very effective weapon for the Chargers, rushing the ball 66 times for 314 yards and two rushing touchdowns while amassing 136 more yards on 20 receptions as a receiver. Hampton's yards per attempt, 4.8, ranks first on the Chargers behind only the team's two quarterbacks, and that efficiency is impressive, considering he's only averaging 13.2 rushes per game.
With Hampton unable to go for at least the rest of the month plus a November 2 showdown against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, the Chargers will have to turn to the bench to replace his production by committee, with free agent signee Najee Harris and second-year back Kimani Vidal having to take on more carries to replace the Rookie of the Year contender, at least for now.
