Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly’s status for next week’s game against the Chicago Bears remains up in the air.
After suffering a concussion last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, Kuechly was not in uniform for practice on Tuesday.
“Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly (concussion) is not dressed for practice but he is here,” ESPN’s David Newton reported.
There’s been much ado about Carolina’s response to the injury Kuechly suffered in Week 6. For his part, Panthers head coach Ron Rivera will not talk about it until the linebacker is out of the concussion protocol (more on that here).
This is somewhat of a hot-button topic around the NFL. Kuechly suffered his third concussion in as many years last Thursday night. It’s a clear indication that his career might have to be cut short. We’ve seen it multiple times with players in the height of their careers in the past.
Carolina’s unwillingness to address the issue at hand has led to renewed skepticism about how teams handle head injuries. On the field, Kuechly remains one of the most-important defensive players in the game. He’ll have to pass through the concussion protocol to play Sunday against Chicago.