Jim Harbaugh can't contain his excitement for Tre Harris after breakout performance

After two exhibition contests that left a lot to be desired, Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Tre Harris managed to respond in a big way on Saturday night.

Harris reeled in six catches for 85 yards and just missed a score in the 23-22 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams, easily outproducing his totals from the previous two games.

Harris' most notable play came in the third quarter when he was able to reel in a beautiful 34-yard pass from quarterback Trey Lance.

Harris just missed the end zone but showed great body control by dragging his feet to complete the catch, which set up the Chargers' first touchdown of the game.

It was no doubt one of those "wow" moments that instantly boosted Harris' stock by itself.

toe drag swag

📺 | CBS2 LA pic.twitter.com/6SrqLzZrRi
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 17, 2025

After the game, head coach Jim Harbaugh thought Harris just about checked off every box possible throughout the game.

"Tre', some big catches showing the catch radius, the ability to catch it over the middle, catch and run, catch on the sideline. I thought he had a heck of a game," Harbaugh said.

"He's a very confident player. He's the kind of guy that just keeps building and that's what we've noticed throughout training camp. It's great to see that hard work pay off. And it always does. Hard work always, always pays off," Harbaugh added.

The standout showing was no doubt a confidence boost for Harris, who failed to reel in a catch in each of the past two contests.

"I definitely think it added a little confidence. But I'll be honest … Coach Sanjay challenged the rookie receivers and I feel like we all stepped up to it," Harris said. "That's what really kind of set the tone for the week, just accepting the challenge and going out there and playing how he wants us to play."

Harris wasn't the only young receiver to stand out on Saturday night, as fellow rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith continued his impressive offseason with two catches for 66 yards.

"Both of those players — Tre' and KeAndre — showed a lot of grit," Harbaugh said.

The wide receiver position has been a source of concern for the Chargers this offseason, but with both of the rookies ascending, Los Angeles might be in better shape than we thought.

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