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Jim Harbaugh Provides Worrying Update on Chargers Running Back Injury

Gus Edwards' injury recovery is still a work in progress as Chargers training camp gets underway.

By Jason Schandl

Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2024; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh at a press conference during minicamp at the Hoag Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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Part of the Los Angeles Chargers' roster overhaul to kick off the Jim Harbaugh era was an incredibly on-brand one: a reinforcement of the running back room with players who can pound the rock between the tackles. At the forefront of that movement was the signing of former Baltimore Ravens running back Gus Edwards, who inked a 2-year, $6.5 million deal.

Edwards' Chargers tenure is off to a rocky start, however, as the offseason addition has yet to get in a full practice with the team. And as training camp gets underway, it's unclear when he will.

Chargers News: Gus Edwards Injury Update Emerges

Gus Edwards participated in individual activities but not full-team drills at Los Angeles Chargers training camp on Wednesday as he recovers from an offseason surgery.

There hasn't been much information made public on the surgery Edwards underwent after playing in 19 games and touching the ball 225 (including the playoffs) last season. He's stayed relatively healthy through his NFL career, but any injury for a 29-year-old running back is going to raise some eyebrows.

In typical Harbaugh fashion, the Chargers' head coach is refusing to give away much information about the issue, simply saying that the team will give him a "longer runway" to return to full-speed action. What this does tell us is that the team doesn't seem to be particularly concerned about the issue, and that Edwards should be full-go for Week 1.

Edwards is considered a long-shot, with +340 odds, to rush for at least 1,000 yards this season on FanDuel Sportsbook. He is the only Chargers running back on the list though, suggesting that he's projected to handle the most significant rushing duties in this backfield.

And of course, that tracks with how most people are projecting the Chargers' running back depth chart right now.

Chargers Running Back Depth Chart

  1. Gus Edwards
  2. J.K. Dobbins
  3. Isaiah Spiller
  4. Kimani Vidal
  5. Elijah Dotson/Jaret Patterson

Note that this isn't how I'm projecting the backfield to shake out this season, but a reflection of where things stand right now. Is Kimani Vidal going to remain behind Isaiah Spiller? Not if he's even remotely as good as he's getting credit for. Will the team carry five or six backs on the roster? Probably not.

But for Edwards in the top spot, Chargers fans shouldn't expect any significant movement before the season begins. That may change if he proves ineffective in the regular season (or if someone like Dobbins or Vidal really shows out early in the year), but it would take a lot for Edwards to lose his spot before Week 1.

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