Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, in the NFL's concussion protocol for the third time in three seasons, will miss Sunday's game against the Bears, the team's announced Friday.
Kuechly returned to practice Thursday, a week after suffering a concussion in the team's loss to the Eagles. He wore a helmet and participated in individual drills in the practice session.
Sunday will mark the 10th game in three seasons Kuechly has missed because of a concussion issue. The NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, Kuechly's plight has not only raised concerns about his future health, but also stoked the ongoing debate about head injuries in the NFL.
A Sports Illustrated article this week — under the headline "Luke Kuechly Is the Poster Child for the NFL’s Concussion Problem" — noted that this season he has been wearing an experimental "Q Collar," designed to reduce the risk and and/or severity of concussions.
Yet studies have shown that each successive concussion makes future concussions more likely and can lead to adverse health effects in the future. Kuechly told ESPN Radio this summer he knows the score when it comes to head injuries.
“At what point do you tolerate it, and at what point is it enough?" he said. "There’s been a lot of studies and a lot of different literature on concussion and head trauma and that kind of deal, and I think it’s a new subject that we’re constantly learning more and more about.”