The Carolina Panthers have been waiting eight weeks for LT Michael Oher to return after suffering a concussion in Week 3 of this season.

However, the former Ole Miss Rebel still hasn’t been cleared to return to action. Needing to add a player to the roster, the Panthers decided to place the talented lineman on injured reserve, ending his 2016 season.

Carolina coach Ron Rivera said the decision to place Oher on IR will help him focus on getting healthy, according to Pro Football Talk:

“This was precipitated by having a need,” coach Ron Rivera said. “There’s no timeframe with Michael, so [after a] discussion with Dave and everybody it was time to go.

“This takes pressure off everything, so we’re not worried about it. We just want to see the young man get healthy.”

Hopefully, Oher can fully recover and be ready to go for next season. Concussions are definitely not something to take lightly and it’s good to see he’ll have plenty of time to rest before taking the field again.