The Los Angeles Chargers were expected to be big spenders heading into free agency thanks to boasting a wealth of cap room this offseason, but instead, the Chargers have actually been nibbling around the edges of the market.
It has been frustrating for Bolts fans who were hoping that their team would go all in and add some big-time weapons for Justin Herbert, but it’s looking like Los Angeles is hoping to find most of that talent via the NFL Draft next month.
The Chargers did, however, land one of the best running backs in free agency, signing Najee Harris to a one-year, $5.25 million contract.
Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports loves the move for Los Angeles, calling it one of the biggest bargains of the offseason thus far.
“Instead, L.A. brought in Harris to be its lead back (for now) and got him at good value,” Vitali wrote. “For a guy that’s topped 1,000 rushing yards every year he’s been in the league, and with how much the running back market has inflated over the past year, getting your starter at this price could end up being a steal.”
Harris has indeed rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first four NFL campaigns, but the knock against the former Pittsburgh Steelers halfback is that he isn’t very efficient.
The 27-year-old owns a lifetime average of 3.9 yards per carry and is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he logged four yards per tote. As a result, Harris isn’t exactly the most ideal featured back, so perhaps the Chargers will land someone in the draft to share the backfield with him.
Still, it’s hard to truly lambaste Los Angeles for signing Harris on such a cheap one-year pact.
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