Kuechly Visibly Distraught Over Injury Suffered in Panthers’ Win

Mere hours removed from the Carolina Panthers’ Thursday night victory over the New Orleans Saints, there still remains some doubt over the extent of the injury that forced All-World linebacker Luke Kuechly to leave the field on a cart.

What isn’t in doubt, though, is the seriousness of the scare. As Kuechly came in to make a tackle late in Carolina’s desperation win, the Saints runner lowered his head as he braced for contact, hitting his tackler in the facemask and dazing him. On his way to the ground, Kuechly also took some friendly fire from Thomas Davis, who inadvertently hit the back of Luke’s head with his own helmet.

What followed was a tense and heartbreaking scene. Kuechly sat on the field for some time hyperventilating and even shedding tears, perhaps suffering some sort of mild panic attack at the thought of his season being over.

The latest reports indicate Kuechly was evaluated for a concussion in the locker room, not a leg injury as initially feared. Before going down, the perennial All-Pro was his usual self, leading his team in tackles and helping his defense stave off a strong-finishing Saints offense, which scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and almost completed the immense comeback in the process.

It’s easy to sympathize with Kuechly and wish him a speedy recovery. His unsurpassed passion for the game notwithstanding, Kuechly spent over a month on the sidelines to start last season, after multiple setbacks in his attempt to fully recover from his first concussion.

But in 2015, the Panthers went undefeated without their star defender, and only became more dominant on D when he returned. This year, Carolina’s crucial division win – giving them a 4-6 record and just an extra sliver of hope to make the playoffs – has come at an irreplaceable cost.

The extent of Kuechly’s stint on the sidelines could well spell the end of the Panthers’ Super Bowl dream.