ORLANDO, FL- There's a good chance the Panthers will start their offseason workouts without two of their biggest defensive stars.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera confirmed on Tuesday that linebacker Luke Kuechly had offseason shoulder surgery, as first reported by the Charlotte Observer.
Rivera said Kuechly has been at the stadium rehabbing along with Julius Peppers, who also had shoulder surgery this offseason before deciding to sign a one-year extension with the Panthers.
Kuechly and Peppers have done some of the rehab work together at the stadium, but Rivera said that the process is a little different for both players.
"They don't rehab at the same pace. Pepp is kind of like the Wolverine, he's different He's just genetically different. He seems to heal faster than a lot of people," Rivera joked.
Kuechly, who led the team in total tackles in 2017 and was selected to the Pro Bowl, had a similar surgery on his other surgery in 2015.
According to Rivera, both players are making progress but it's likely they are not ready for the Panthers offseason workouts which begin April 16th.
