Omarion Hampton injury update: Buzz, fantasy football outlook on Chargers star

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Los Angeles Chargers first-round running back Omarion Hampton enjoyed a breakout while taking over for the injured Najee Harris, then he suffered a setback that sent him to injured reserve, too.
In the wake of the NFL trade deadline and as the Chargers approach the Week 10 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Jim Harbaugh and some of those around the team hinted at the status of Hampton’s recovery timeline.
Here’s the latest on Hampton’s injury.
Omarion Hampton injury update
- Speaking with reporters before Week 10, Harbaugh revealed that the Chargers will not open Hampton’s 21-day return window.
- Hampton has not played since suffering an ankle injury during the October 5 loss to the Washington Commanders. He went to injured reserve during the next week’s roster moves.
RELATED: How will Chargers move forward post-trade deadline and injury news?
When will Omarion Hampton return?
The Chargers not so much as opening Hampton’s return window effectively rules him out for the Week 11 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, too. After that, it’s a Week 12 bye. Tacking on yet another three weeks to the injury speaks to just how severe it was. There’s no guarantee Hampton is back after the bye, either, though they could activate him during the buildup to Week 13 before putting him on the 53 for that week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
RELATED: Chargers already boast top-10 projected free agent with Cowboys, Eagles as top fits
Omarion Hampton fantasy football outlook
Omarion Hampton’s on pace for over 1,600 yards and 9 TD’s..
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) October 4, 2025
He would’ve been the CLEAR RB1 in 95%+ of draft classes
Chargers GM (Joe Hortiz) mentioned it was a “unanimous” decision between their Front Office to draft Hampton..
1st in Scrimmage Yards by a Rookie through 4 weeks pic.twitter.com/zrcE58mtsS
Bleak. Three more weeks without a capable first-rounder is a tough ask for fantasy footballers. That said, those who already have him on a roster or those who can buy really low might be in for a nice surge. Hampton will, presumably, come back on fresh legs and ready to go for the winter playoff stretch and there is literally zero competition for his snaps in the Chargers backfield when he does.
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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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