Chargers activate Harris from NFI for Week 1 vs Chiefs in Brazil

El Segundo, Calif. The Los Angeles Chargers activated running back Najee Harris from the nonfootball injury list on Tuesday, making him eligible to play in the season opener on Sept. 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Harris, who has been sidelined since suffering an eye injury in a July 4 fireworks accident, participated in individual drills at the team facility on Wednesday, marking his first on-field work since the incident.

General manager Joe Hortiz offered an optimistic assessment of Harris’s recovery during Saturday night’s preseason broadcast, saying, "Najee is doing great, going through all the medical processes. But he is on track, and I think he should be able to go, hopefully in Week 1." Head coach Jim Harbaugh called Harris’s participation "limited" but described him as a possibility for the opener while maintaining a cautious tone. "When Najee is ready to play, Najee will be ready to play," Harbaugh said. Harris’s agent characterized the injury as superficial, though the team has not released detailed medical information.

Harris’s return follows a gradual rehabilitation program. After initially walking laps at practice in mid-August, he...