Tyrod Taylor was a late scratch from Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, unexpectedly thrusting rookie Justin Herbert into the starting lineup. It was reported that Taylor suffered a chest injury after warmups and had to be taken to the hospital, making the situation even more mysterious.
It turns out the Chargers’ team doctor was actually the reason for Taylor’s absence in Week 2, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter reported Wednesday that the Chargers’ doctor accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung while attempting to administer a pain-killing injection for the cracked ribs.
Taylor’s status for Week 3 remains unclear, but this explains why Herbert started against the Chiefs.
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
Coach Anthony Lynn has maintained that Taylor will be the team’s starting quarterback as long as he’s healthy, it’s just not known when that will be. Taylor started Week 1 against the Bengals, throwing for 208 yards with a passer rating of 75.4 in the Chargers’ win.
In Herbert’s first career start, the rookie threw for 311 yards with a touchdown and interception.
