LA Chargers quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, missed his team's weekend game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it is now being reported by ESPN that it was because of a punctured lung, suffered accidentally when a Chargers team doctor tried to give him a pain-killing injection for cracked ribs right before the start of the game.
Sources told ESPN that this why rookie Justin Herbert ended up starting in his place and may need to deputise for Taylor again this weekend against the Carolina Panthers.
The Chargers’ team doctor accidentally punctured his own quarterback Tyrod Taylor’s lung just before kickoff Sunday while trying to administer a pain-killing injection to the quarterback’s cracked ribs, league and team sources told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2020
After their game with the Chiefs, Chargers' head coach, Anthony Lynn, said that there were "complications" with Taylor's chest injury.
Tweeting in the wake of ESPN's report, NFL Players Association spokesperson, George Atallah, tweeted: "Our medical and legal team have been in touch with Tyrod and his agent since Sunday collecting facts. An investigation has been initiated."
Our medical and legal team have been in touch with Tyrod and his agent since Sunday collecting facts. An investigation has been initiated. https://t.co/HuLFVivoyN
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) September 23, 2020
How long he'll be out for remains to be seen, with medical experts telling LA Times NFL reporter, Sam Farmer, that it could range from anything from 1-6 weeks:
Medical experts I've asked about the Tyrod Taylor situation say lung puncturing is a known risk on those injections and happens every so often. Almost never dangerous, usually resolves in a week or two, but some docs recommend avoiding strenuous activity or contact for 4-6 weeks.
— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) September 23, 2020
Taylor is in the second year of two year contract with the Chargers but only gained a starting spot this season, following the departure of Philip Rivers to the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the injury, Lynn still maintains that Taylor is his QB1: "If Tyrod is 100 percent, he's our quarterback."
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