With just four weeks left in a season that’s close to spiraling out of control, many Panthers fans have been asking what they believe is a valid question:

Why risk putting All-World linebacker Luke Kuechly back on the field less than a month after he suffered his second career concussion?

Ron Rivera has what he believes is a valid answer.

“My response would be that he’s a football player,” Carolina’s coach said Wednesday. “And if he passes the protocol and he wants to play, and the doctors want him to play, he’ll play. It’s that simple.

“I don’t control the protocol. But I do control the football team, in terms of, ‘We’re going out there to play, we’re playing one at a time, we play to win.’ And we’ll see what happens.”

Kuechly took what Rivera termed “the next step” Wednesday when he practiced for the first time since he was carted off the field in tears after suffering a concussion in a win over the Saints on Nov. 17.

Kuechly is still in the concussion protocol, and was listed as ‘limited,’ but his uptick in work on the sled and in drills means he could be back as soon as Sunday against the Chargers.

“He looked good. He seemed to be in there a good amount running around,” tight end Greg Olsen said. “It’s just nice to see him back with a uniform on and a helmet on. Whether he plays or not, I have no idea how that works, but just to see him back out there it’s obviously a great step for him and that’s the biggest thing.

“It’s not about our team. We all know how much we need him, but the best thing is to see him back being himself and feeling good and being what makes him special.”

Despite missing two full games, Kuechly ranks eighth in the NFL with a team-leading 102 tackles. But even though his team’s playoff hopes are all but mathematically dashed, Rivera stressed he isn’t rushing back his most important defensive player.

As the NFL continues to ramp up concussion prevention — if there is such a thing in football — the Panthers have become the league’s extreme case this season. Kuechly is one of an NFL-high eight players on the roster who have entered the protocol.

But while Rivera’s “he’s a football player” could sound a bit blunt to some, the former Bears linebacker admits the particularly brutal past few months have made him more curious about the effects — and causes — of concussions.

“I think it’s very important that, not just me, but other people in this industry try to get to understand it a little bit more” he said. “Because who knows? Maybe there’s something that we’re missing in terms of preparation.

“I don’t know if there is an answer to it, but I think that if we are better educated, maybe we can spot things before they happen. Maybe there’s something else we can do as coaches and professionals in this business to see if we can make a difference.”