Injuries have been the story of the LA Chargers' 2025 season and another chapter was added on Monday. After being seen in a walking boot following Week 5's loss to the Washington Commanders, rookie running back Omarion Hampton has officially been put on Injured Reserve. He will miss at least four games.
Hampton joins Najee Harris on IR, completely decimating the running back duo the Bolts were preparing to have. Harris tore his Achilles in Week 3 and will miss the rest of the season. The hope is that Hampton can return sooner rather than later.
The absolute earliest the No. 22 pick in April's draft can return is November 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Los Angeles plays the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans in that span. The Bolts' bye week doesn't come until late November.
Chargers are lost at running back with Omarion Hampton on IR
The Chargers didn't properly prepare to lose both Hampton and Harris this season. And to be fair to the Chargers, it looked fairly improbable before the season that both backs would be out of action at the same time.
2024 late-round pick Kimani Vidal is the next man up for the Chargers and he did show some flashes in his brief playing time on Sunday. However, Vidal is on the practice squad and has never fully seemed to gain the coaching staff's trust.
Veteran Nyheim Miller-Hines spent the preseason with the Chargers but was released from the practice squad in early September. He has not landed anywhere else in the league and could rejoin the Chargers in some capacity.
The free agent and trade options aren't the best, so the Chargers may be forced to rely on unproven commodities at the running back position. This is a recipe for disaster with what is arguably the worst offensive line in the sport.
Hampton joins a laundry list of Chargers players bitten by the injury bug this season. As it stands right now, the Bolts are without both starting tackles, their top-two running backs, their starting tight end, their best edge rusher, and one of their starting linebackers.
With two ugly losses in the rearview mirror and Hampton's addition to the IR, the Chargers have undoubtedly hit rock bottom on the 2025 season. Hopefully, it goes up from here.