Omarion Hampton suffered a high-ankle sprain at the end of the LA Chargers' Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders. It was initially believed to be a minor sprain, with Hampton expected to come back after a four-week IR stint.
Three weeks later and Hampton has not made the progress Chargers fans were hoping for. His return date has been pushed back to an unspecified window and the outlook only seems to be getting worse with time.
Two-and-a-half weeks after suffering the injury, Hampton gave Chargers fans an unfortunate update on his status without even meaning to. The rookie first-round pick was spotted after Thursday's game still wearing a walking boot to support his left ankle, which essentially ends any hope for him returning after just four weeks.
Omarion Hampton's injury takes a left turn Chargers fans weren't expecting
On the very same day, Chargers fans witnessed Joe Alt return from a high-ankle sprain that also put him in a walking boot in Week 4. Alt missed only three games and avoided an IR stint altogether, which allowed him to return on Thursday.
Hampton's recovery was always going to be a bit longer because of the IR stint but the fact he is still in a boot weeks later is not a good sign. Hampton's return to action may come much closer to the end of the season than fans were hoping for, and that will have an undeniable impact on the team's performance.
This explains why the Chargers were reportedly shopping for a running back in the first place. The Chargers wouldn't have felt the need to trade for a back if Hampton was going to return on schedule after the Titans game.
2024 sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal will lead the running back room in the meantime and he did a great job of that against the Vikings. Vidal finished with 117 rushing yards on 23 carries with a touchdown. It was the best game of his young career.
However, it also came on the heels of a lackluster performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Granted, the Chargers were instantly down in that game and never had a chance to establish the run, but it still showcases the variance in Vidal being the team's starting running back moving forward.
Hopefully, Thursday's win is just a launching off point for Vidal to blossom into the running back Chargers fans thought he could be when he was drafted. At this rate, it seems like that is a necessity as it's impossible to pinpoint when Hampton will be back.