Carolina Panthers

Report: Panthers LB Luke Kuechly diagnosed with concussion

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been diagnosed with a concussion, his second in as many seasons, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Panthers announced Friday that Kuechly was in the NFL’s concussion protocol but did not say whether or not he’d actually been diagnosed with a concussion. The distinction between being in the protocol and actually being diagnosed with a concussion is an important one, considering what happened with Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith earlier this month.

Kuechly, the NFL’s leading tackler, left Thursday’s game against the Saints in the fourth quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was in tears as he was being carted off the field.

Teammate Thomas Davis posted a photo of a smiling Kuechly on Friday saying that he was “doing fine.”

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