With a wild 23-20 comeback victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers are 3-0 for the first time since 2002. And with their first two victories coming against the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, the Bolts have also won their first three games within the AFC West for the first time since 1996.
So, there's plenty to be happy about in LaLa Land.
That said, however, the Chargers' win didn't come without a loss, as running back Najee Harris, who's never missed a single game since entering the NFL in 2021, will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering an Achilles injury during the second quarter of Sunday's matchup.
The fifth-year veteran, who was having a solid day with 28 yards on six carries, took a step back at the start of a play and immediately hit the turf after his left leg gave out as he attempted to plant. Harris was eventually carted off the field, and while his injury was initially called an ankle issue, Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed in his postgame presser that his RB2 did indeed suffer an Achilles injury.
As to where the Bolts go from here at the running back position, they obviously still have first-round rookie Omarion Hampton, who had the best day of his young career against the Broncos, rushing for a career-high 70 yards and scoring his first touchdown while also gaining 59 yards on six receptions.
Outside of Hampton, however, things get a little thin. The only other back on the main roster is Hassan Haskins, who has 288 total yards to his name over the course of his four-year career. And on the practice squad, there's 2024 sixth-round selection Kimani Vidal and undrafted rookie Amar Johnson. Those are Harbaugh's current options.
Now, there are plenty of Chargers fans out there who feel another name should be on that list, and many of those same fans likely feel he should've been included on the 53-man roster. And that name, of course, is none other than Raheim "Rocket" Sanders, who was waived during final cuts and was quickly picked up by the Cleveland Browns.
The Chargers are now yearning for a running back like Raheim Sanders
Undrafted this past April out of South Carolina, for whom he racked up 1,197 total yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns in 2024, Sanders quickly became a Chargers fan favorite during training camp and had a strong preseason, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns while adding 29 yards on five receptions in three appearances.
A guy nicknamed "Rocket" is obviously known for his speed—he ran a 4.46 40 ahead of the draft—but it's often easy to forget just how big Sanders is, as he stands six feet tall and weighs in at roughly 230 pounds. As such, he's a solid blocker and earned a 79.2 pass-blocking PFF grade during the preseason.
So, it certainly wasn't a surprise to see him get snatched up so quickly once he was waived. But the Chargers may be regretting that decision now. Even if Sanders wasn't ahead of Haskins on the depth chart as RB2 behind Hampton, a lot of Bolts fans might feel better about the loss of Harris with him on the roster as RB3 given his versatility.
But with that no longer being an option, we'll just have to wait and see what Harbaugh does in the coming days as the Chargers prepare for their Week 4 matchup with the New York Giants.