Luke Kuechly was carted off the field late in the fourth quarter on Thursday night and was being evaluated for a concussion.

Kuechly entered the NFL's concussion protocol, the Carolina Panthers said, after what appeared to be a helmet-to-helmet hit on a tackle of Tim Hightower.

The linebacker was in tears as he rode off toward the locker room while fans screamed "Luuuuke!"

Kuechly missed three games last season after suffering a concussion in Week 1.