Chargers looking to bolster their run game with 1,000-yard rusher Najee Harris
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While a flurry of trades and new contracts marked an early start to free agency this week, the Chargers have stayed quiet.
During the NFL’s two-day free agency negotiation period, the Chargers reportedly agreed to terms with only two players, bringing in cornerback Donte Jackson and running back Najee Harris, two former teammates from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harris agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $9.25 million, according to reports Monday, as the Chargers hope to pair quarterback Justin Herbert with a more dynamic running game. The Chargers, who entered the week with the second-most salary-cap space in the league, can make new signings official starting Wednesday at 1 p.m. PDT when the new league year begins.
Veteran edge rusher Khalil Mack agrees to one-year contract extension with the Chargers and former Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson agrees to a two-year deal.
Harris has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in four consecutive seasons and went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021. The 27-year-old rushed for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns in 263 carries over 17 games last season with three games of 100 or more yards.
In need of a boost to the running game that was held to 50 yards in a wild-card loss to the Houston Texans, the Chargers released Gus Edwards on Monday and still could re-sign J.K. Dobbins, who rushed for a career-best 905 yards last season.
Dobbins, a free agent, suffered season-ending injuries in two of the three seasons prior to joining the Chargers and missed four games last year because of a knee injury. With a season-best run of 61 yards and 4.6 yards per carry, Dobbins showed he still can be a force when healthy. Harris averaged 4 yards per carry last year and doesn’t have a rush longer than 37 yards in his career but is remarkably durable at a particularly injury-prone position. In four seasons the former Alabama star has never missed a game.
Harris’ deal is reported to carry a salary cap hit of only $5.25 million with up to $4 million in incentives.
General manager Joe Hortiz said at the NFL scouting combine last month that the team targeted “prove-it type guys” during free agency last year, relying on one-year deals to turn the roster around, and could use the same pitch this year.
“Come here, you’re going to get an opportunity to compete. That’s the same pitch this year,” Hortiz said. “But we backed it up. We lived out our words. Come in, earn the job, you’re going to start, you’re going to play, you’re going to create an opportunity for yourself.”
Cornerback Kristian Fulton is among the players already benefiting from that strategy as he used one season with the Chargers to revitalize his career and sign a multiyear contract. However, the pay day came with another team. The 26-year-old agreed to a two-year, $20-million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to reports Tuesday.
Defensive tackle Poona Ford, who is coming off a standout season with the Chargers, agrees to a three-year deal with the Rams.
Hampered by hamstring injuries late in his Tennessee Titans tenure, Fulton started a career-high 14 games last year with 51 tackles and his first interception since 2022. Defensive lineman Poona Ford had a similar breakout year and parlayed the success into a three-year deal with the Rams this week.
The Chargers also are expected to lose reserve linebacker Nick Niemann, who agreed to a two-year contract with the Texans, NFL media reported Tuesday. A key player on special teams, Niemann had 21 tackles last year after beginning the season on injured reserve. Fellow linebacker Troy Dye will become a free agent this week and was another special teams force who jumped into the defensive rotation to manage injuries to Denzel Perryman. Dye, a Norco native, had a career-best 57 tackles. Perryman, 32, also is set to hit free agency.
Etc.
The Chargers were awarded three draft picks as compensation for free agents lost last season. They have two additional sixth-round picks (209, 214 overall) and an extra seventh-round pick (255), giving them 10 picks in the draft. ... Defensive end Joey Bosa, who was released by the Chargers on March 5, reportedly agreed to a one-year, $12.6-million deal with the Buffalo Bills.
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