Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal bided his time, watching his club add RBs this offseason that pushed him off the active roster to open the 2025 campaign. However, injuries to Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris opened the door. Vidal blasted through.
"I just knew whenever my opportunity came again, I wanted to be ready," Vidal said this week, via the team’s official website. "I feel like I was pretty ready."
In Week 6 against Miami, the second-year back earned his first career start. He made the most of the chance, earning 124 rushing yards on 18 carries and adding three catches for 14 yards and a receiving touchdown. His previous career high in rushing was just 34 yards (Week 14, 2024 at Kansas City).
"If I had to tell myself where I'm at and everything that's happened since the beginning of the season, I honestly wouldn't believe it," he said.
After the Chargers signed Harris and drafted Hampton in the first round, Vidal was waived during final cuts. He signed with L.A.'s practice squad. After the injuries began piling up, he was signed to the active roster ahead of Week 6.
The Chargers have noticed the growth from the former sixth-round pick.
"It's high-level competitor, high-level mindset of a person that doesn't get discouraged," Harbaugh said about Vidal. "'Oh, I didn't do this, they got this back, they didn't keep me on the 53.' I think his mindset was good, that makes me work harder, train better, and listen more.
"He's really good at all those things, but you can see it amp up. Not flinch one bit and work on getting better each day. Better today than yesterday, better tomorrow than today. There was never a word said by him, he was saying everything by what he did."
Heading into Sunday’s showdown against the AFC-leading 5-1 Indianapolis Colts, Vidal will get another shot to prove he can be a lead back in L.A. The running back knows he can't dwell on last week's impressive performance.
"I try not to focus on it. It takes what it takes throughout the week," Vidal said. "Work, keep trying to get better, work on what I need to correct, correct those things and move on. That game is over, it's in the past and focus on the Colts."
The Colts rank 13th in rushing yards allowed (578) and 15th in yards per carry (4.3) through six games.
