Luke Kuechly suffered second concussion in past two seasons

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechlysuffered his second concussion in the past two seasons Thursday night, a source confirmed.

The Panthers had previously only confirmed that Kuechly was in the concussion protocol after he was carted off the field late in the fourth quarter of the Panthers' 23-20 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Kuechly now is considering traveling to Pittsburgh this week to visit a concussion specialist, Dr. Michael Collins, to get a second opinion on the injury and how he should proceed.

Kuechly, who suffered a concussion in the Panthers' 2015 season opener, is the sixth Panthers player to be diagnosed with a concussion this season.

Panthers left tackle Michael Oher has missed the past seven games with a concussion, and a source said he "isn't close to a return" at this time.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton missed one game earlier this season with a concussion, while special-teams ace Colin Jones has missed the past two games and linebacker A.J. Klein missed Thursday night's game, both with concussions.Cornerback Daryl Worley also suffered a concussion in Week 6 vs. New Orleans.