Keith Kirkwood injury update: What happened to Carolina Panthers' WR? 

Carolina Panthers WR Keith Kirkwood suffered two broken collarbones in 2020 that kept him on the shelf. And now, his 2021 season might not start ideally either after he took a dirty hit in training camp.

Tuesday was the first day that most NFL teams started practicing in full-pads. During the 11-on-11 drills, rookie safety J.T. Ibe tackled Keith Kirkwood too high and hit him in the head, leaving him laying on the ground. Kirkwood had to be placed on a backboard and taken off the field in an ambulance.

As reported by the Charlotte Observer, Keith Kirkwood was on the ground for nearly 10 minutes and couldn't feel his arms and legs.

Here’s the hit from JT Ibe that got him kicked out of practice and saw Keith Kirkwood stretchered off. #Panthers 🎥: @PanthersOnTap pic.twitter.com/i5WOiBNPS6

— Dean Jones (@DeanJones_) August 3, 2021

Carolina Panthers cut J.T Ibe from the roster following Kirkwood injury incident

Later in the day, Keith Kirkwood was officially diagnosed with a concussion and has since been released from the hospital, and there is no timeline on his return yet.

The story continued once Keith Kirkwood was taken off the field. Head coach Matt Rhule unloaded on J.T. Ibe on the field and the player was sent home immediately.

Within an hour or so, the Panthers would end up releasing him from the roster. The roster move was both a statement of player safety and to remove a possibly toxic element from the locker room. Player safety is one of the top priorities for the NFL these days, and some teams don't even do much live-tackling anymore.

Ibe was a UDFA player this year, but it's no surprise that Rhule cut him so quickly. Keith Kirkwood isn't an elite starter himself, but had a strong chance of making the roster as a depth player. J.T. Ibe did release an apology for the incident and feels remorseful for the unintentional hit.

"I was so in the moment, I didn't even realize it. I just saw the ball and him and I wanted to interrupt it. It wasn't me aiming for his head. It was just me trying to jar the ball out...I just felt bad, I looked at him when I landed, and I just felt bad. I asked the trainers to tell him I'm so sorry...Obviously, I'm in an emotional state right now, but at the end of the day it's not about me, it's about Keith being okay," J.T. Ibe said.

Head coach Matt Rhule also addressed the media on the Keith Kirkwood incident.

"It's completely unacceptable to do something like that. There's bang-bang plays that happen, guys will hit the ground, but you can't tee off on somebody," Rhule said.

The early signs sound good on Keith Kirkwood. Matt Rhule says movement in his lower body and no pain in his neck. pic.twitter.com/ZYqwEz6AWb

— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 3, 2021

As for J.T. Ibe's future in the league, he could have issues finding another team this preseason as a UDFA player that is now tainted. As for Keith Kirkwood, he's expected to make a full recovery, but his spot on the final roster is uncertain.