In July, Raheim "Rocket" Sanders had a rather rough start to the training camp and preseason cycle. An undisclosed injury prevented the Chargers' UDFA running back from seeing the practice field for about a week and a half.
When Sanders finally returned to the practice field prior to the Hall of Fame Game, he still wasn't participating in team drills. Sanders sat out the Hall of Fame Game while recovering from the injury.
That changed earlier last week in practice when Sanders was able to fully practice for the first time this summer. He had his non-contact yellow practice jersey removed and replaced with the Chargers' standard blue/white uniforms. This was a sign that he was indeed going to get some snaps in the team's second preseason game vs. the Saints.
And he made the most of his time. Sanders played the most snaps (18) in the running back room. He had 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. On the late touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Arkansas and South Carolina product demonstrated some great lateral speed in getting away from the defense:
Whew pic.twitter.com/IQlezyK69Y
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 11, 2025
Raheim Sanders' has a pulse in the Chargers' RB room after explosive preseason debut
After fears the preseason could get away from him with the time missed in practice, Sanders quieted some concerns on Sunday.
For the time being, he's still buried in the rotation relative to Kimani Vidal or Hassan Haskins. Vidal did not see the field on offense after the third quarter, demonstrating that the coaching staff currently sees him at the top non-Najee Harris running back behind Omarion Hampton.
But it's good that Sanders is getting the reps with an opportunity to continue moving up the depth chart.
With continued uncertainty around when exactly Harris will be back, Sanders has a chance to make the roster. If Harris remains on the NFI list at the time of the 53-man roster cutdown, he would have to miss the first four games of the Chargers' season. While his agent Doug Hendrickson has maintained that he'll be available for Week 1, it's worth noting that Harris has still not practiced with the team.
Even if Harris is back for the Chargers' opener in Brazil, the team will likely still have at least two running back roster spots that are available for the taking. Vidal, Sanders, Jaret Patterson, Nyheim Miller-Hines, and Hassan Haskins will continue competing for said roster positions in the Bolts' last two preseason games.