Najee Harris injury update: Former NFL doctor gives grim prognosis on Chargers RB

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered a non-contact injury in a game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. And, according to one injury expert on Twitter, he is likely done for the season.

David J. Chao, a former NFL doctor who goes by ProFootballDoc on Twitter and has long provided instant analysis of injuries based on video, noted that Harris likely suffered a left Achilles tear. That would rule him out for the rest of the season.

Najee Harris was injured on a likely carry attempt, tripping in the backfield and going down after planting on his left leg. He was immediately tended to on the field.

Chao described the injury. He wrote the following:

“By video, we have established that he has sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon, which will require surgery and will put an end to his season,” Chao wrote.

That injury would be brutal for the Chargers, who rely on Najee Harris as a key part of the backfield. Harris had had a quiet season leading into Sunday’s third game of the year, tallying only nine carries for 33 yards.

Still, he’s a force in the backfield when healthy. He has run for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last four years, doing so with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Najee Harris joined the Chargers this offseason and was thought to be a key addition to the backfield. Now he might be relegated to watching from the sidelines, if Chao’s analysis proves correct.

For their part, the Chargers reportedly called Harris’ injury an ankle injury, labeling him questionable to return. That news was reported by Kris Rhim of ESPN.

During his career, Najee Harris has logged 1,106 carries for 4,345 yards and 28 touchdowns. He has also caught 183 passes for 1,174 yards and six scores.

Harris is a former first-round NFL Draft pick out of Alabama. he was taken with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.