After the Carolina Panthers beat the Texans in Week 2, Thomas Davis said it was “strange” playing without Luke Kuechly by his side. Heading into Week 4, the Panthers are preparing for the possibility of having neither linebacker against the Bucs.

Kuechly remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and Davis suffered a pectoral injury in Sunday's win over the Saints. Even though he was limited, he at least practiced Wednesday. Kuechly wasn't even on the field.

Coach Ron Rivera on Monday was hopeful Kuechly would pass his final test with an independent neurologist. Two days later, Rivera was much shorter with reporters who wondered where the star linebacker was.

“I’m not the doctor. I’m the football coach and I’m an optimistic guy,” Rivera said. “And I go through this procedure just like he is.

"I'm not going to get into this part of it anymore. I learned my lesson, I tried to give you guys what I thought I knew on Monday, and apparently, it was a little too much."

Rivera did say Kuechly's concussion won't end his season, but according to a source, the Panthers are expecting him to sit out through their Week 5 bye.

They're also concerned about Davis' availability this week, despite his Wednesday participation. He went through individual drills at the start of practice but was held out during linebacker drills and he didn't appear to be wearing his normal shell.

There's no question Davis will try to be on the field in Tampa Bay, but as they've shown with a number of injured players in recent years, the Panthers could choose to be "smart" while sitting him through the bye.

The Panthers have already won two games without Kuechly, and while you can question who they beat, the Bucs aren't much better than the Texans or Saints. If Carolina can get out of Tampa with a win, they'd be 4-0 and healthier for their Week 6 matchup at Seattle.

If Kuechly nor Davis play Sunday, the Panthers would be down to linebackers A.J. Klein, Shaq Thompson, David Mayo and Ben Jacobs. Adarius Glanton, who appeared in 12 games last year, including the playoffs, is on the practice squad.