Bolts From The Blue
Throughout the 2025 NFL season, SB Nation’s Doug Farrar will write about the game’s Secret Superstars — those players whose performances might slip under the radar for whatever reasons. In this installment, we turn our attention to Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal, an underrated weapon who was expected to go off by everyone in his own locker room, and did that against the Miami Dolphins’ defense when given the chance.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always had a thing for undersized running backs. The “Muscle Hamster” prototype can be a highly successful one in the right offense, and when the Chargers selected Troy’s Kimani Vidal with the 182nd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 draft, I loved the fit.
Vidal measured in at the scouting combine at 5′ 7⅞ and 213 pounds, but he didn’t run small or light for the Trojans. In 2023, he gained 1,661 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on 295 carries. Among all backs in the 2023 class, nobody had more yards after contact (1,056) and missed tackles forced (94), and Vidal wasn’t just beating up on smaller schools.
Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman had a nice history of working with smaller backs during his time running the Baltimore Ravens – think Mark Ingram, J.K. Dobbins, and Justice Hill – so if anybody could get the most out of Vidal, it would seem to be Roman.
Still, in his rookie season, Vidal toted the rock just 43 times for 155 yards, and the fact that the team selected North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton with the 22nd pick in 2025 told you that the Chargers wanted a true franchise-defining back, which Hampton has the talent to be over time. Hampton validated the Chargers’ faith in him with 314 yards, two touchdowns, 22 forced missed tackles, and four runs of 15+ yards on just 66 carries through his first five NFL games. But when Hampton suffered an ankle injury against the Washington Commanders in Week 5 and was subsequently placed on injured reserve (that means he’ll be out at least four games), it was time for another solution.
Enter Mr. Vidal. The plan was for Vidal and Hassan Haskins – a much bigger back – to share the reps.
“There’s a great opportunity for others to really make a name for themselves in this league,” Roman said mid-week as the Chargers were preparing for the Miami Dolphins. It’s what they’ve been dreaming about since they were [kids]. That’s the exciting part of it.”
As it turns out, Haskins didn’t stand a chance, because Vidal went off against Miami’s defense. He gained 124 yards on just 18 carries with 62 yards after contact, three forced missed tackles, and four runs of 10 or more yards. Moreover, Vidal didn’t have a single negative run, and when the Dolphins stacked the box against him, Vidal spit that right back in their faces.
Of his four explosive runs, two were inside zone, one was outside zone,...
