Carolina's Luke Kuechly fights back tears while being carted off the field

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One of the NFL's best defensive players and leading tacklers had to be carted off the field on Thursday night, as Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly suffered an apparent injury in the fourth quarter against the Saints.

It looks like Kuechly may have suffered either a head or leg injury on the play, and it caused an emotional scene as the linebacker couldn't hold back the tears as his team gathered around him as he was being carted off the field.

Carolina may now be without the heart and soul of their defense going forward with the remainder of the 2016 season.

The Panthers were able to hold onto a 23-20 lead to win the game. We will keep you updated on Kuechly's status as we learn more on the situation.