Ladarius Green has been diagnosed with a concussion for the second time this month.

The Chargers tight end was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, one day after arriving at the team facility with “concussion-like symptoms,” coach Mike McCoy said. His status for Sunday’s game against the Vikings is uncertain, as the team navigates through a delicate situation.

The concussion came Sunday against the Bengals, a team spokesman said.

That means it’s his second in an 11-day period and third in nine months.


“Like any player on our football team, we’re going to be cautious with that,” McCoy said of Green’s symptoms. “He’ll go through the normal protocol. He’ll go through the evaluations throughout the rest of the week, and we’ll go from there. He’ll have an NFL neurologist look at him like like every other player would at this point in time, come later in the week.”

The first concussion, the one Green considers to be the most severe, occurred during a Dec. 7 game against the Patriots.

He bobbled a pass on a crossing route, as cornerback Brandon Browner lowered his shoulder and delivered a powerful pop. Green lost consciousness on the hit, which drew a flag but, upon further review, did not result in a league fine. He missed the season’s remaining three games. The Chargers listed him with a concussion and ankle ailment on the injury report the first two weeks; he was a healthy scratch the third.

The two most recent ones are the only others known to be reported during his four-year NFL career.


On Sept. 9, after finishing a Wednesday practice, Green felt such symptoms as lightheadedness. He was diagnosed with a concussion that afternoon. Days later, Green said that, although being diagnosed, he wasn’t sure it was one — he thought the symptoms might’ve been related to the 97-degree heat during a padded practice. Still, he completed league protocol. An independent specialist helped clear him for contact that Saturday in time for a Sunday game against the Lions. Green caught a career-high five passes for 74 yards and a touchdown while starting in place of suspended tight end Antonio Gates.

It is unclear when during Sunday’s game in Cincinnati that Green suffered the latest concussion.

He caught five passes for 47 yards.

That he was able to practice Wednesday, albeit as a limited participant, indicates an encouraging progression through the protocol. But two concussions is two concussions, and with more arguably not known about the brain injury than what is known, the situation is expected to be monitored carefully over the coming days with not only Green’s short-term availability in mind but his long-term health outside of football.


The Chargers have kept Kyle Miller on speed dial.

× Ladarius Green suffers another concussion

The tight end made the roster out of training camp and was waived last week. He could be re-signed as early as Thursday. Green is the only Chargers tight end to catch or be targeted on a pass this year; John Phillips and David Johnson are the others on the roster. Gates is out for the next two games.

“Doctors have a job to do,” McCoy said. “They’ll let us know what’s in the best interest of the player. We’ll make that decision accordingly from an organization perspective. I’m a football coach. They’re doctors. We’re going to lean heavily on those people that give us their expert advice on what to do in this situation.”