ESPN: Chargers Doctor Punctured QB Tyrod Taylor’s Lung Before Sunday Kickoff

Taylor was taken to the hospital and discharged Sunday

Tyrod Taylor of the Los Angeles Chargers before he was ruled out on Sunday.
Tyrod Taylor of the Los Angeles Chargers before he was ruled out on Sunday.
Harry How/Getty Images

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the last-minute injury that prevented Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor from suiting up on Sunday was caused by a team doctor botching an injection of pain medication.

“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,” Schefter wrote on Twitter.

The 31-year-old quarterback was taken to the hospital and discharged on Sunday. Rookie QB Justin Herbert started in his place and played fairly well in a last-second loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Taylor suffered two cracked ribs early during LA’s Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and was getting the injection for the pain right before the team was kicking off against the Chiefs in Week 2.

The NFL Players Association is investigating the medical mishap and seeing what steps it should take next, a source told ESPN.

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn has consistently said that when Taylor is 100 percent healthy, he’ll remain the team’s starting QB, but doctors have advised him not to play “indefinitely.”

With Taylor unlikely to be ready for Week 3, Herbert will probably get another chance to start on Sunday, this time against a winless Carolina Panthers team.

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