(Reuters) - Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has not cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers, the team said on Saturday. Kuechly, the National Football League's defensive player of the year in 2013, has been sidelined since suffering the injury against the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 17 and will miss a third straight game due to concussion for a second consecutive season. Drafted by the Panthers ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kuechly had initially been listed as questionable for Sunday's game and coach Ron Rivera said on Friday that he would be "good to go" as long as he passed the final test of the protocol.
