ESPN.com: San Diego Chargers

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SAN DIEGO -- In Sunday's regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions, the San Diego Chargers could be down to their third-string tight end.

Ladarius Green has been diagnosed with a concussion suffered during Wednesday’s practice and did not participate in practice for the Chargers on Thursday. San Diego already is without starting tight end Antonio Gates because he’s serving a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

With David Johnson and Kyle Miller the only healthy tight ends on the 53-man roster, the Chargers re-signed veteran tight end John Phillips, a surprise cut during final roster cut-downs last week by San Diego.

In order to create room on the roster, the Chargers waived undrafted rookie offensive lineman Tyreek Burwell.

Offensive coordinator Frank Reich said that although the Chargers are down a couple of players, the team still can function as it regularly does on offense.

“You’ve got to be ready to adapt,” Reich said. “And thankfully we have a lot of good players that we can do that with. Whether that means other tight ends step up or you change personnel groups a little bit more and other guys step up, Mike (McCoy) does a good job of preparing everybody for that mentally and physically, the way we rotate things in practice.”

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers says it’s an odd feeling not having Gates in the locker room helping to prepare for the week’s opponent.

“This is the first Wednesday since I’ve been a Charger that he hasn’t been in there -- even the times he’s been hurt,” Rivers said. “That part has been really weird -- the conversation and the laughter and the cutting up in there before meetings. That’s when you say, ‘Golly, that’s crazy.’ … So he’s certainly missed, but I think the guys are going to step up and go.”

Out of the tight ends who are healthy, Phillips has the most experience, with 35 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns in seven seasons.

At 6-5 and 251 pounds, Phillips is considered more of a blocking tight end. But Gates singled out Phillips as an underrated pass-catcher during training camp.

“He’s an experienced veteran who’s been in our system the past couple of years, from Day 1, for us,” McCoy said. “So he’s a guy we know we can count on, both in the kicking game and on offense.”