The Los Angeles Chargers completely revamped their running back room last offseason when Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz came to town. Gone were Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley, and in came J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Unfortunately, this tandem did not live up to expectations either, so the Chargers rebuilt their room once again in 2025. This time, they got a more surefire player in free agency with Najee Harris, and they paired him with first-round pick Omarion Hampton.
While the team and fan base are confident in this duo, if Harris can return from his freak eye injury, there are questions about who exactly would be backing up these two players. After four preseason games, that answer finally became clear.
Chargers are seemingly set at the running back position
Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal, Raheim "Rocket" Sanders and Nyheim Miller-Hines were all in the running to fill out the back half of the running back room in Los Angeles. It became clear this month that Haskins and Sanders are the most deserving of a spot on the 53-man roster.
This preseason, Haskins firmly solidified himself with a handful of strong showings, rushing for 89 yards on just 14 carries and contributing an eight-year catch. The other three were more of a mixed bag, but Sanders clearly stood out from the pack.
Sanders ran 28 times for 99 yards, which is just under 3.6 yards per carry, but he also punched in two touchdowns and made a handful of plays as a receiver. Vidal, by contrast, starred in the Hall of Fame Game with two scores, but managed just 2.0 yards per carry in the next three contests.
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Miller-Hines started off strong against the Lions in the first bout, but he tailed off quickly after three fumbles and little rushing efficiency or impact in the passing game. He was a late addition to the roster anyway, so he'll be the odd man out even if Harris does not return in time for Week 1.
Haskins was one of Harbaugh's running backs at Michigan, and Sanders was an All-SEC running back at both Arkansas and South Carolina. These two have strong pedigrees, and their preseason performances indicated that they should be on the roster anyway.
Vidal could sneak on if Harris ends up on short-term IR, or if the team opts to keep a fifth running back, for whatever reason. However, as it stands right now, the Chargers should have settled on a room of Hampton, Harris, Haskins and Sanders this preseason.