COSTA MESA, Calif. _ Valuable reserve tackle Chris Hairston was lost to the Los Angeles Chargers for the rest of the season Wednesday when the six-year veteran from Clemson was placed on the non-football illness list.
The team did not disclose Hairston's illness. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Hairston, who played left and right tackle, was sitting at his locker in the team's Costa Mesa training facility when reporters were allowed in before Wednesday's practice.
"I'm fine," Hairston, 28, said, "but I don't want to talk about it. That will be about it."
Hairston did not respond when asked if his condition was life-threatening.
On Tuesday, Hairston tweeted, "Dr. said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican, man," the lyrics from a Kanye West song.
A source familiar with Hairston's situation but not authorized to speak about it publicly confirmed that the issue was a blood clot, or blood clots.
"It stinks, but what doesn't stink is the fact that Chris is still alive," right tackle Joe Barksdale said. "Sometimes we get so caught up in what's going on on the field that we forget that people are regular human beings too.
"First and foremost, we're happy he's OK."
Hairston replaced the injured Barksdale in the third quarter of Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins and played 21 of 58 offensive snaps. He played only two snaps in the season opener at Denver.
"He was more than a swing tackle," coach Anthony Lynn said. "This guy is a high-character young man who works hard and sets a good example for everybody in that locker room. We're gonna miss him."
Hairston will be replaced at reserve tackle by rookie Sam Tevi, a 6-5, 315-pound sixth-round pick from Utah. The Chargers also signed Tyler Marz, a 6-7, 316-pound tackle, from the Tennessee Titans' practice squad and assigned him to their 53-man roster.
The Chargers on Sunday will face a Kansas City Chiefs defense that puts heavy pressure on quarterbacks.
The Chiefs (2-0) have 11 sacks for a loss of 66 yards, four by linebacker Justin Houston and three by lineman Chris Jones.
"You have to prepare for everyone, whether it's a high school or college team coming in, like they're the best team in the world," said Tevi, who did not play in the first two games. "Kansas City is good, but we're also good."
Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt thinks that Tevi, who spent much of the preseason playing alongside rookies, will benefit by playing with veterans such as tackle Russell Okung and guard Matt Slauson.
"He's come a long way," Whisenhunt said. "There's no question from a physical standpoint that he has the talent. It's his turn now, so he has to be prepared."
