Chargers-Browns trade prediction gives L.A. some RB help after Omarion Hampton injury

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The Los Angeles Chargers are in a bad way at the running back position going into Week 6.
That's because rookie running back Omarion Hampton is set to be placed on injured reserve after he suffered an ankle injury in the Week 5 loss to the Washington Commanders.
That means Hampton will miss at least the next four games, which leaves Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson as the only backs on Los Angeles' 53-man roster and practice squad.
Of course, Najee Harris is no longer an option after he was lost for the rest of the 2025 campaign following a torn Achilles' tendon.
There's is no doubt the Chargers need to make a move at running back, and fast. That's why Pro Football & Sports Network's Josh Weil is predicting Los Angeles will pull off a trade with the Cleveland Browns for running back Jerome Ford.
Weil believes the Chargers could acquire Ford for as little as a 2027 sixth-round pick.
While we would love to see the Chargers make a bigger move than this, acquiring Ford would certainly be better than nothing and he would be an upgrade over the three healthy backs the Chargers have now.
Ford has broken 500 rushing yards or more in each of the past two seasons, with his 813 yards in 2023 being a career-high. Ford has also shown his chops in the passing game with 81 receptions for 544 receiving yards in that span.
Ford, who is in a contract year, has become expendable in after the Browns drafted two running backs in the 2025 NFL draft in Quinshon Judkins, who looks fantastic early on, and Dylan Sampson.
Ford would be a solid option to weather the storm over the next four games, and he would be a strong complement to Hampton upon his return while adding some much-needed length to the Chargers' running backs room, which was thin even before Hampton got hurt.
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Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who has covered the NFL for major outlets such as Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He has previously written for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and FanSided, and got his start in sports media at Bleacher Report.