Kuechly ruled out for 3rd straight game

Luke Kuechly is at least another week away from making his return to action.

Despite some relative optimism heading into the weekend, the Carolina Panthers linebacker remains in concussion protocol and has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers.

Kuechly was deemed questionable as part of Friday's injury report, and head coach Ron Rivera had told reporters that he'd be in the lineup provided he could pass the final stage of testing.

The star defender was evidently not able to do so heading into Sunday and will miss his third consecutive game as a result.

Participating in a full week of practice suggests Kuechly is closing in on his return, but there's no way to be sure until he can pass all necessary tests and receive clearance.

The concussion Kuechly suffered in Carolina's win over the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 17 is his second in as many years. He also missed three games early in the 2015 season before getting back on the field following a Week 5 bye.