Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly hasn't gone all out during the team's offseason workout program.
His limited participation level, however, doesn't surprise when considering Kuechly underwent shoulder surgery in February and continues rehabilitation.
Kuechly has experience dealing with the recovery process after a previous shoulder procedure in 2016 and wasn't full speed until training camp.
While it is a different year, the all-world linebacker is taking the same approach with a belief he'll be ready when the Panthers kick off camp in late July.
"That's the plan," Kuechly told reporters Tuesday, via the Panthers' official website. "That's how it went last time, and everything went well. I don't anticipate it being any different."
Kuechly might harbor a sense of frustration over not being on the field for team-related drills. However, as one of the team's leaders, he is present on the sidelines to help out teammates when needed.
"I'm not able to do the team-related stuff right now, which is a bummer," Kuechly told reporters. "That's the best part of the OTA and minicamp portion. But it's still good to be out here, still be around talking to the guys. The early-on individual stuff is what I'm able to do right now, and then hopefully once training camp comes I'll be full-go."
In the meantime, the Panthers shouldn't feel any pressure to rush Kuechly's recovery timetable given the team knows what they have in the linebacker.
When fully healthy, the four-time All-Pro selection is one of the few defensive players in the league capable of taking over a game.
