Reports last month indicated that Chargers left tackle Russell Okung was dealing with an undisclosed injury, but that may not be quite accurate. As Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com tweets, the team placed Okung on the NFI listed with an undisclosed illness, and GM Tom Telesco said that Okung started dealing with a “pretty serious medical issue” in early June (via Daniel Popper of The Athletic on Twitter).
Popper adds that Okung could miss all of training camp, though there is no word yet on whether his regular season (or his career) are in jeopardy at this point. Telesco said that the 31-year-old is doing better and getting great care, and Okung plans to provide additional details when training camp opens tomorrow.
If Okung is forced to miss time, it would be a huge blow to the Bolts, who are widely considered to be a legitimate championship contender. Okung earned a Pro Bowl nod during his first year with the Chargers in 2017, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the 11th-best tackle in the league in 2018.
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft has missed just one regular season game in each of the past two seasons, and he suited up for both of Los Angeles’ playoff contests last year.