What It Means:

"I trust what our doctors have to say. I trust our coaches and all those guys," said Kuechly. "I want to get out there and play." Kuechly finally made it through the concussion protocol last week but was kept out Monday. He has suffered two significant concussions over the last two seasons. With Carolina unlikely to make the postseason, there's no reason for Kuechly to return and risk further injury.

Kuechly will likely end his season with 10 games played, in which he earned 102 total tackles, a pair of sacks and six passes defended. The Panthers rank ninth in schedule-adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points per play.