omarion hampton

Chargers running back Omarion Hampton will be placed on injured reserve, coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday, meaning the rookie first-round pick will be out for at least the next four games.

Late in the third quarter of Sunday’s 27-10 loss to Washington, Hampton came up limping after colliding with a Commanders pass rusher. After the game, the running back rode by the Chargers’ locker room on the back of a golf cart, wearing a protective boot on his left foot. Harbaugh declined to elaborate on the situation in his postgame comments.

However, Harbaugh revealed Monday that Hampton will be out for at least a month.

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Sam Farmer breaks down what went wrong for the Chargers in their 27-10 loss to the Washington Commanders at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Hampton, a University of North Carolina standout selected 22nd overall last spring, rushed for 44 yards in 12 carries Sunday and had six receptions for 26 yards.

“He’s been getting in a really good rhythm, playing really well,” Harbaugh said. “Special player. That was an unfortunate occurrence.”

The Chargers, who play Sunday at Miami, are looking to halt a two-game losing slide. They had put more on the shoulders of their rookie running back after losing veteran Najee Harris to a torn Achilles tendon in the second quarter of a Week 3 victory over Denver.

The team is already dealing with a slew of injuries along the offensive line and needs a reliable running game to take pressure off of quarterback Justin Herbert, who was hit a combined 21 times in the past two games.

In a Week 4 loss at the New York Giants, Hampton ran for 128 yards in 12 carries, including a 54-yard touchdown run.

Harbaugh said the Chargers will turn to reserve running backs Hassan Haskins, Kimani Vidal and Amar Johnson and “look at other avenues as well.”

The Chargers are coming off a loss in which they got off to a 10-0 lead before surrendering 27 unanswered points. They have been penalized 24 times in the past two games.

“In really all phases, every group’s got fingerprints on it, every position group, every coach,” Harbaugh said. “We’re all looking at that, wall to wall, going back, seeing every way we can attack and be better.”

On a play-action pass, Chargers running back Najee Harris crumpled to the turf before the fake handoff could fully develop, immediately grabbing his left ankle and tossing aside his helmet in pain.

Needing assistance, trainers helped Harris to the sideline, as he was unable to put any weight on his leg, before he was carted to the locker room in the second quarter of a 23-20 win over the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Harris, who spent the lead-up to his first season in L.A. recovering from an offseason eye injury in a fireworks accident, was expected to be a key piece of a one-two punch with rookie Omarion Hampton.

Now, he appears to be sidelined for the season with an Achilles injury, according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, who called the diagnosis “preliminary” as Harris underwent postgame imaging.

“Not good,” Harbaugh said of his emotions as the play unfolded. “[I was] just hoping for the best — maybe a high ankle, something else that wouldn’t be long-term.”

Speaking at the podium with a somber tone, Harbaugh said he met with Harris at halftime and described the running back’s demeanor as “cold-blooded,” adding that he told him: “You’ll be back, kid.”

The injury appeared clear on film, according to Dr. Dan Ginader, physical therapist and author of “The Pain-Free Body,” who reviewed video of the play.

“When looking at the calf of the back plant leg, you can see the muscle sort of ‘jump’ which is indicative of a complete tear of the Achilles,” Ginader said. “Players who have suffered this injury often describe it as being hit in the heel with a shovel. … When you see the muscle jump and see the player crumble to the floor, you can be pretty sure it’s a complete tear.”

Before going down, Harris had been featured early Sunday, carrying six times for 28 yards. Durable throughout his career, he had appeared in all 71 games across five NFL seasons before the injury.

If it’s a complete tear, the earliest Harris could return is about eight months, Ginader said, though most players don’t feel fully themselves “until at least 12 months” post-surgery. For a skill player, he added, “it takes longer to be able to come back at full force.”

With Harris out, Hampton is expected to shoulder a bigger role moving forward. Hampton, who calls Harris a mentor, admitted the loss stings.

“It definitely hurts,” Hampton said.