Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles was checked for concussion vs. Chargers
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was checked and showed no symptoms of a concussion after a big hit in last Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers, team trainer Rick Burkholder told ESPN.com's Adam Teicher.
On the opening play of the second quarter, Charles ran for a 16-yard touchdown but leapt across the goal line at the end of his run and collided with Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers in a jarring collision.
Flowers left the game with a concussion. Charles's comments to ESPN Radio on Wednesday seemed to indicate that he had concussion symptoms but wasn't checked for one.
“It definitely hurt,” Charles said. “It’s like, I woke up — I mean, like, a couple plays later I was seeing light bulbs, like, light bulbs around my eyes, and I was trying to catch them. But I was in the game so I was like, ‘Alright, let’s get the ball and run again.'”
“I didn’t have a concussion but it definitely was a hit that shocked me. But I don’t think I had to go through the concussion protocols and all that. I didn’t want to go through that again because of what happened in the playoffs. I was definitely fine, I think I came out pretty good,” Charles said.
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Charles is referring to a concussion he sustained on the opening possession of Kansas City's wild-card loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs last season that forced him to miss the rest of the game.
Burkholder emphasized on Wednesday that Charles was "asymptomatic" for a concussion immediately after the hit and has continued to not show any symptoms since the game.
"We're not classifying him as having a concussion. But as with all of our players, I'll monitor him as he goes and he'll go through practice today," Burkholder said.
Besides Sunday's potential head injury, Charles also sprained his ankle in the Chiefs' game against the Denver Broncos earlier this season. He missed Kansas City's Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins but has played in every game since.
Charles has run the ball 64 times for 290 yards and two touchdowns this season and added two touchdown receptions.
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The Chiefs are 3-3 and in third place in the AFC West. They host the St. Louis Rams this Sunday.
- Ben Estes
