Sportsnaut
A decade after Jason Pierre-Paul lost multiple fingers in a fireworks accident on the Fourth of July in 2015, running back Najee Harris became the latest player to suffer an injury due to a fireworks accident on Independence Day weekend.
The Los Angeles Chargers running back was injured over the July 4 weekend during a mishap involving fireworks. Fortunately, the veteran NFL player only suffered a “superficial injury” that isn’t expected to impact his availability for the upcoming season.
“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.
NFL agent Doug Hendrickson on the fireworks accident involving Najee Harris (via Ian Rapoport)
Also Read: NFL power rankings, see where the Chargers land
Harris, age 27, signed with the Chargers this offseason after a four-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft returned to his native California, where he grew up and played football through high school.
As first reported by the San Jose Mercury News, he incident on July 5 in Antioch, California, injured multiple people. Harris’s eye injury required treatment at John Muir Hospital in Concord, with follow-up care at Stanford Hospital.
Read More: NFL defense rankings, find out where the Chargers placed
Chargers training camp is set to begin next week, ahead of their participation in the 2025 Hall of Fame Game, where Harris will undergo a physical along with his teammates. Heading into the 2025 NFL season, he is expected to split touches with first-round pick Omarion Hampton.
The incident occurred exactly 10 years after Pierre-Paul lost 2.5 fingers during a mishap while lighting fireworks. Pierre-Paul would go on to play eight regular-season games in 2015, recording 52.5 sacks in his final 104 career games.
More must-reads:
