On Wednesday, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said left tackle Russell Okung was dealing with a "serious medical issue." Okung himself revealed one day later that the issue is recovery from a pulmonary embolism. 

Okung announced the condition in a statement on Twitter Thursday morning, saying he went to an urgent care facility out of an abundance of caution after experiencing unusual chest pains at practice, and that doctors told him the decision to do so likely saved his life. 

His statement in full:

We all know injuries are a part of the game, but I wanted to share some details about my current health status, which is quite different than previous "injury" scenarios I've experienced in my career.

After experiencing unusual chest pain at practice, on June 1 I went to urgent care out of an abundance of caution. According to the doctors who treated me, the decision to do so likely saved my life.

Thankfully, I'm OK now, but a few tests revealed that I suffered a pulmonary embolism caused by blood clots. When detected early, this condition is very treatable and I'm grateful to have access to the best available care as I continue on the path to recovery.

I've very grateful to my teammates, coaches and the entire Chargers organization for their care, support and understanding during this challenging situation. Thanks to an incredible medical team and a very supportive family, I hope to be back on the field as quickly as possible.

While near-death type experiences are certainly a wakeup call, I'm feeling great physically. It's not an ankle or shoulder. As soon as doctors clear me, my plans include blocking [Philip Rivers'] blindside all the way to Miami.

Though Okung says he hopes to be back on the field soon, the Chargers previously indicated that he might have to miss all of training camp due to the recovery. 

As we wrote yesterday, it's likely that rookie third-rounder Trey Pipkins would step into the lineup at one of the tackle spots if Okung has to miss time during the regular season. The Chargers' offensive line showed improvement last season and it helped them to one of their best seasons in some time. Okung was a big part of that improvement, and if he can return to full health he should continue as a solid left tackle for the remainder of Philip Rivers' career, assuming a return to full health also means a return to the field.