San Diego Chargers’ Kris Dielman out for season – NFL News
San Diego Chargers left guard Kris Dielman has been put on the injured reserve list.
Three weeks back Dielman had sustained a concussion in the game against New York Jets on October 23. The offensive lineman stayed on the field despite the concussion that resulted in a seizure while he was flying back home. The
reason was that the concussion escaped diagnosis during the game when Dielman collided with Calvin Pace of the Jets in the fourth quarter.
The injury attracted Nation Football League’s attention after Dielman went through a seizure.
The latest loss comes as a blow to the already under pressure offensive line of the Chargers. Dielman is now out for the rest of the season and the Chargers will now have to manage seven games without the offensive lineman.
Chargers Head coach Norv Turner was taken aback by the recent development.
"He brings so much more than a physical presence to the field. We're going to miss him during this period and we can't wait until he's completely healthy and can get out and play again." Turner said.
The Chargers are now faced with criticism on how the situation was handled. NFL is expected to increase its examination of concussion related issues. Turner however was of the view that it had been addressed “extremely well."
"All the proper precautions were taken. Kris was evaluated when we landed and all the tests were excellent. We're fortunate, he's fortunate and we're moving on," Turner had said earlier.
Turner said that it was routine for players to be seriously hit and it was nothing new.
"Our guys understand that if they aren't able to go, they need to get out.” Turner said.
Dielman has attended all the last four Pro Bowls but will now have his streak broken. This is the first time that Dielman has been faced with a situation like this. He has never been out for more than a game in a season since 2003.
NFL officials now have been directed to look into concussion related events especially for symptoms during a game. The NFLPA medical director Dr. Thomas Mayer termed the Dielman incident as an unfortunate one saying the incident
called for more steps to be taken and learning from mistakes. He said that there was a need to educate officials to attend to situations like these.
Meanwhile, the Chargers now have brought in Ike Ndukwe to replace the injured Dielman as they continue to face an increase in the number of injuries. Marcus McNeill sustained a neck injury while Louis Vasquez is considered out
with a knee injury. The same can be said for linebacker Shaun Phillips who suffers from a foot injury. The good news for Chargers is that Takeo Spikes is back into practice.
The Chargers are scheduled for a clash with the Chicago Bears on Week 11, Sunday.
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