NFL: Chargers Running Back Najee Harris Hurts Eye During Fourth Of July Fireworks Celebration
His agent said the injury is superficial, and Harris will be ready for the 2025-26 season.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris suffered a “superficial” eye injury caused by a fireworks mishap that took place during a Fourth of July celebration last week, his agent, Doug Hendrickson, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hendrickson added that Harris is still expected to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.
“Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees,” Hendrickson said in a statement. “Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, authorities said that seven people, including one 13-year-old boy, were injured during the incident. One person was hospitalized after losing several fingers.
The July 4 fireworks mishap involving Chargers RB Najee Harris resulted in injuries to several attendees. One person was hospitalized after he lost fingers in the accident in Antioch, California, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing police. https://t.co/B35P3peZ8l
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2025
The explosion involving a high-grade firework occurred around 12:20 a.m. PDT on Saturday, July 5th, in the back alley of a San Francisco apartment complex. Paramedics transported four people to the hospital, while two others were able to drive themselves to another hospital. The 13-year-old boy denied any medical treatment.
Najee Harris, who is entering his fifth season in the NFL, signed a one-year contract with the Chargers in March. Prior to that, he spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
A completely avoidable and dumb injury
I don’t want to get too religious here, but thank God Najee Harris didn’t get more seriously hurt. Then again, I don’t know why I am thanking God. Najee Harris should be getting on his hands and knees and thanking the good lord for preventing him from sustaining a more serious injury.
I do not get the decision by Najee Harris to play with fireworks, even if he’s celebrating America’s Independence Day. Did he learn nothing from former New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who had to have one of his fingers amputated after a fireworks incident on the Fourth of July in 2015? You’re risking job security by doing stupid sh*t like this!
“Welcome to the team Najee, we’re happy to have a consistent RB on our team”
Najee Harris: https://t.co/eDrw5AEGrX pic.twitter.com/WImIaxAPjR
— Kenjac (@JackKennedy) July 11, 2025
It’s not like Najee Harris is guaranteed to be the starting running back in Los Angeles, anyway. After all, the Chargers used their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to take running back Omarion Hampton out of UNC. On top of that, Harris is only on a one-year contract, so it doesn’t seem like he will be a part of the Chargers’ long-term plans. Now, you factor in this silly fireworks injury, and it becomes clear that Najee Harris will have to prove he’s mature and belongs on this team when the preseason comes around.
It always feels like NFLers get themselves into these types of reckless situations. Over the years, I have seen guys punch their starting quarterback in the mouth, hurt themselves with fireworks, constantly drive at unsafe speeds, and even kill people while drunk driving. Najee Harris now joins the list of NFLers whose careers are forever linked to dumb decisions they made during the off-season.