Sometimes it's not about how well you play in a preseason game, it's about how much you play in the first place. On Saturday, Jim Harbaugh made it abundantly clear that veteran running back Nyheim Miller-Hines is falling behind in the LA Chargers' roster battle at running back.
The Chargers signed Miller-Hines following Najee Harris' eye injury on the Fourth of July. Miller-Hines hadn't played in the NFL since 2022 and is using the Chargers as a springboard to get back into the league. After the Hall of Fame Game, it looked like the veteran running back was well on his way to accomplishing that goal.
The narrative has shifted after Saturday, though. Miller-Hines was active as he played snaps on special teams, but he did not get a single carry in the ball game. Harbaugh and the Chargers coaching staff wanted to evaluate the other running backs on the roster, which is bad news for Miller-Hines.
Jim Harbaugh may have just revealed that the Chargers will cut Miller-Hines
Maybe the Chargers sign the veteran running back to the practice squad to keep him in the team's ecosystem, but it's hard to tell. It wasn't hard to see this coming, though.
Miller-Hines looked woefully mediocre in the team's preseason game against the New Orleans Saints last weekend. To make matters worse, he muffed two different kicks, one of them giving the Saints possession of the football.
Backend roster players have to prove they can contribute on special teams as well as their limited role on offense or defense. Miller-Hines proved the opposite, and that may have been the final dagger for his roster hopes.
Leapfrogging Miller-Hines is UDFA Raheim Sanders. Sanders didn't produce much against the Rams (mostly because of the awful offensive line) but he got way more run than the veteran. Sanders has more upside as a young back, and hasn't made the awful special teams gaffes that Miller-Hines made.
Hassan Haskins also didn't play in Saturday's preseason game but he has an inherent advantage that Miller-Hines doesn't. Haskins has the Michigan connection to Harbaugh and is far more valuable on special teams. If the Chargers decide to carry a fourth RB, Haskins will get the nod for that alone.
As it stands right now, the Chargers' running back room looks to consist of Omarion Hampton, Kimani Vidal, Sanders, and Haskins if the Chargers carry a fourth running back. Once Najee Harris returns, Haskins would probably be the first to go.
There's just no room for Miller-Hines and Saturday's preseason game was a reminder of that. The veteran back was a feel-good story for a few weeks but now he has to turn his attention to earning a practice squad spot, not a roster spot.