Chargers’ Omarion Hampton will debut in preseason opener Thursday

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For Los Angeles Chargers fans, the wait is finally over.
Despite the Chargers playing an extra preseason game before the calendar even turns to August, fans will get to see first-round pick Omarion Hampton in action.
Speaking with reporters ahead of Thursday’s Hall of Fame game, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh revealed that Hampton and second-round wideout Tre Harris, among other notables, will get some run during the exhibition.
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No word on just how many snaps big names like Hampton will play. But it’s clear the coaching staff wants to get him some reps in live pro action well ahead of a regular season where he’s expected to at least split the workload with veteran Najee Harris.
Speaking of Harris, he’s still on the NFI and working back from the eye injury suffered during a fireworks accident near the start of the month. Speaking on the topic previously, Harbaugh suggested the free-agent addition could miss all of camp.
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Harris’ status probably didn’t impact the decision to get Hampton some reps, though. Good thing for fans, too, given the hype around the first-rounder as an offense-evolver.
Meaning, Chargers fans will want to make sure they don’t miss at least the first drive of Thursday’s game (we know they’ll be there for all four quarters, of course).

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Chris Roling has covered the NFL since 2010 with stints at Bleacher Report, USA TODAY Sports Media Group and others. Raised a Bengals fan in the '90s, the Andy Dalton era was smooth sailing by comparison. He graduated from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and remains in Athens.
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