Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has cleared the league’s concussion protocol, but that doesn’t mean he’ll return to the field on Monday night in Washington.
Coach Ron Rivera said today that he still views Kuechly as questionable.
“We are excited to have Luke healthy and cleared from the protocol,” Rivera said. “I know he is extremely motivated to get back on the field and help us win games. Whether he plays this week or not, I don’t know. We have to balance our enthusiasm with what’s best for Luke and the team long term.”
Shutting Kuechly down would make a lot of sense: Why risk the long-term health of one of the team’s best players just for a few games at the end of a disappointing season? But it’s surprising to hear Rivera say that now, when he said earlier in the week that it was purely a medical decision.
The doctors now say Kuechly can go. The Panthers might sit him anyway.