Royal taken away from practice today by Ambulance.

[Highboltage]

I was wondering how long that was gonna take.

I remember one of the posters wanted Rivers injured last year.

I forgot the smiley. I would never wish that on anyone.

[captaind]

How often do you need an ambulance at practice?

The Chargers should always have one on standby.

[Rugger05]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/17/early-signs-positive-on-eddie-royal-after-saturday-injury/

Chargers wide receiver Eddie Royal departed Saturday’s practice via ambulance after a post-catch fall.

The good news? A league source tells PFT’s Mike Florio that initial tests on Royal have all been negative.

The Chargers are awaiting more news on the sixth-year receiver from Virginia Tech.

After practice, coach Mike McCoy, in a transcript from the club, described Royal’s injury.

“Eddie (Royal) went up for a ball, caught the ball, landed on his back and felt shortness of breath,” McCoy said. “He had a little bit of a hard time breathing. We’re going to take him to the hospital and check him out. That’s all I’ve got right now. I can’t tell you anymore. I don’t know a whole lot about it.”

Royal, 27, is in his second season with San Diego. He spent his first four NFL seasons with Denver.

[SFW]

From what I have read, he was diagnosed with a bruised lung and concussion (his 2nd). If true I would expect him back for the start of the regular season or week 2 at the latest (just my completely medically uneducated guess).

[Antonio's Gates]

I would love to see the team experiment with Green in the slot while Royal is out.

[Buck]

Who might benefit from this if Royal cant be back by week 1.

DePalma?

[Antonio's Gates]

ajirotutu

[SDFan]

Willie

[Den60]

I guess McCoy forgot to mention that Steve Williams (our 5th round pick) is probably lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

[BlazingBolt]

Did I hear right that this was shareece wright in coverage yet again?

[Bolt-O]

Eddie Royal released from hospital

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/18/eddie-royal-chargers-wide-receiver-hospitalized/

Football became a secondary concern for the Chargers on Saturday when an ambulance shuttled Eddie Royal off the practice field to a nearby hospital.

Their primary focus was Royal's health.

On Sunday, Royal signaled it appropriate to begin thinking football.

The Chargers wide receiver was released from the hospital, a source said, and expressed optimism on Twitter, reporting improvement after suffering a bruised lung and concussion in training camp. Royal experienced shortness of breath and was seen coughing up blood after he jumped and caught a Philip Rivers pass and landed hard on his back, the sudden stop slamming his helmet against the ground.

Teammates sent supportive text messages to Royal and visited him in the hospital.

Friends, family and fans also offered their well wishes.

"Thank you for all of the love and concern," Royal posted before 8 a.m. "Doing better and anxious to get back out there as soon as possible!"

The Chargers have yet to release a timetable for Royal's recovery, but it may take weeks, said Dr. Clark Fuller, director of thoracic surgery at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica.

Fuller, who has not examined Royal personally, said he'd expect Royal to miss the rest of the preseason, adding that it's possible he could play Sept. 9 in the Chargers' season opener against the Texans.

"That would be my goal if I was his treating physician to get him ready for that day," said Fuller, a thoracic surgeon since 1997, in a phone interview. "(But) he hit hard enough that he whiplashed into a concussion. His lung may be cleared before his head is."

Fuller said a bruised lung, which Royal and Browns linebacker Barkevious Mingo suffered in a three-day span, is "really unusual" in football players, citing the force needed to cause the injury.

He more commonly associates the injury to car crash victims and bull riders.