Vidal had 11 carries for 49 yards with two receptions (three targets) for eight yards in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Rams. Vidal was deemed a healthy scratch in the Chargers' preseason opener last week, but the tailback was reportedly dealing with a minor injury leading up to the contest, Gavino Borquez of USA Today reports. The sixth-round selection appeared to be operating at full strength Saturday when he led his team in rushing yards in the absence of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (coach's decision). Vidal was the second back to touch the football for the Chargers despite finishing as the top producer, as Jaret Patterson earned the first running back touch in the exhibition loss. The latter finished with 38 combined yards on nine touches as the two young backs continue to duke it out on the depth chart this preseason.
Unlock the latest Los Angeles Chargers news — direct to your inbox.
Status
ACTIVELatest Kimani Vidal news
Career History
It's the offseason! 😎
Check back next season for fresh
AI-powered projections.
Can't wait for more data?
Join dfsPro Daily for free
AI-powered Fantasy Picks
Year-Round.
Vidal had 11 carries for 49 yards with two receptions (three targets) for eight yards in Saturday's preseason tilt against the Rams. Vidal was deemed a healthy scratch in the Chargers' preseason opener last week, but the tailback was reportedly dealing with a minor injury leading up to the contest, Gavino Borquez of USA Today reports. The sixth-round selection appeared to be operating at full strength Saturday when he led his team in rushing yards in the absence of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (coach's decision). Vidal was the second back to touch the football for the Chargers despite finishing as the top producer, as Jaret Patterson earned the first running back touch in the exhibition loss. The latter finished with 38 combined yards on nine touches as the two young backs continue to duke it out on the depth chart this preseason.
Vidal, who participated in warmups, was held out of the team's 16-3 preseason loss to the Seahawks on Saturday, Daniel Popper of The Athleticreports. It's not clear why the coaching staff decided to have Vidal, and 2024 second-round pick Ladd McConkey (lower body), participate in pre-game warmups, but then not have either player in uniform during the game. Given the Chargers' offensive struggles, particularly on the ground (50 yards on 15 designed carries), it's entirely possible Vidal could see substantial playing time in the coming weeks, but it's also worth noting Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins were also held out of the preseason opener despite zero health concerns to date.
Vidal has been working with backups in training camp while J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards get first-team reps, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports. It shouldn't really be a surprise that a rookie sixth-round pick isn't getting first-team reps when the team has two RBs with NFL starting experience under the current offensive coordinator (Greg Roman, who had the same job in Baltimore from 2019 to 2022). The good news for Vidal is that he has a few viable paths to playing time, potentially aided by Dobbins' lengthy medical record (43 missed games in four seasons) and Edwards' history of minimal receiving contributions (30 catches in 69 career games). It's also worth noting that Vidal has a strong prospect profile relative to most Day 3 picks, having run a 4.46 40-yard dash at 5-foot-8, 213 pounds, after running for 4,010 yards and 33 TDs in four seasons at Troy. The first step is to push ahead of 2022 fourth-round pick Isaiah Spiller and lock down the third spot on the depth chart.