The rumors started on Sunday. They could not be corroborated until today.
Chargers running back Najee Harris was indeed injured in a fireworks accident during July 4 weekend.
From his agent, Doug Hendrickson: “Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees. Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
The Chargers did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. When Harris reports for training camp next week in advance of the July 31 Hall of Fame game, Harris will (along with all other players) undergo a full physical.
The rumors persisted all week until the dam broke via a report from Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News regarding the fact that Harris had been injured on July 5 in Antioch, California. Inman’s report had no specifics as to the extent or severity of the injury. Inman reported that Harris received treatment at John Muir Hospital in Concord and later at Stanford Hospital.
Multiple other people were injured during the incident.
The original rumors were that Harris had lost an eye. The official word from his camp is that it’s a “superficial eye injury.” The next development will come when he has his training camp physical.
Harris, a first-round pick of the Steelers in 2021, signed a one-year deal with the Chargers in March. He has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his four NFL seasons.