Carolina Panthers: Is This the End of Luke Kuechly’s Career?
No one can question the heartbeat of the Carolina Panthers defense. But is Luke Kuechly’s NFL career in danger after a second concussion in two years?
On almost any given Sunday, an NFL player suffers a concussion. This has been an ongoing problem in the NFL and no matter how many rules are in place to prevent them, they still happen. On Thursday Night Football, the Carolina Panthers and the New Orlean Saints went head-to-head. Literally. Nothing sinks the heart of a team more than watching a teammate fall limp on the field after a head-on collision. Unfortunately, that teammate falling limp on Thursday was one of the brightest stars in the league, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.
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On a play midway through the fourth quarter, Saints running back Tim Hightower got the carry and took the run to the middle of the field. In typical Kuechly fashion, the linebacker came charging at Hightower. Hightower lowered his head and Kuechly’s facemask hit his helmet. Seconds later, fellow Panther Thomas Davis came to assist in the play, only to hit Kuechly in the back of the helmet.
Now imagine your brain as the silver ball in a pinball game. Kuechly’s brain bouncing back and forth from the double impact. He knew immediately what had happened because he felt the same thing last season. According to FOXSports.com, Kuechly sustained a concussion in 2015 at only 25 years old. That injury was severe enough to keep him out for five games over six weeks.
Most players that sustain that kind of a hit will get up or be assisted to the bench. They will go through the concussion protocol to determine if they can return to the game. Most of the time they remain out. But Kuechly didn’t walk off on his own power. He had to be carted off. Watching him sit there on the field sobbing after the hit was disturbing. It was his reaction to another concussion. This wasn’t a typical concussion.
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This was a wake-up call to his future and he immediately knew it. His love and passion for the game of football is evident every time he steps foot on the field. He is the heart and soul of the Panther defense and he is watching his future slip away.
It is very likely that Kuechly has been told by team physicians that the more concussions he receives, the higher the percentage of CTE will occur. No player cries as a reaction to a concussion unless he knows what that can mean to him. In 2015, linebacker Chris Borland of the San Francisco 49ers retired at the age of 24 due to his fear of CTE occurring after a concussion he received in training camp. Borland thought this through and determined that waiting too long could damage his future.
Kuechly, on the other hand, continued to play. But this is a serious decision this young man will have to make. If he reacted with sobbing to just one concussion this season, it is only because he knows that he must think this through. He has already accomplished more than many players his age. He has appeared in three Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl appearance, 693 tackles, nine quarterback sacks, 12 interceptions and one touchdown. He is an elite player and worth every penny of his $61 million contract.
But the question remains, can Kuechly continue to ignore the head trauma that he is putting his brain through for the next five years? Or even the next two years for that matter. He could make the decision and be out the remainder of the season. But he would have to ensure no further head injuries and allow himself to heal. As a tackling machine and competitor, that would be hard to do. If he sits out the next three games, maybe he can still play the remainder of the season.
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However, if he sustains another head injury, Kuechly will have to seriously rethink his future well-being and how he wants to live his life. Some think this is the end of his NFL career. That all depends on how he responds to this latest concussion. Even still, this is Kuechly’s decision to make with the support of his family and teammates.
At the end of the day, it is his life. But as an observer, he appears to be thinking a lot about the outcome of this particular injury. Whatever decision he makes, hopefully, it will be one he won’t regret.