Confirming reports late Tuesday night, the Carolina Panthers today placed middle linebacker Jon Beason on injured reserve due to a knee injury that will end his 2012 season.

The All-Pro linebacker will miss two consecutive seasons after coming back from an Achilles injury in 2011, and now his knee will keep Beason sidelined until Carolina's new regime is ushered in. It was evident watching Beason play that he was struggling with injury, looking uncharacteristically slow, and lacking the impact we've come to see since he was drafted.

This marks the third key player the Panthers have lost, as Beason joins Chris Gamble and Ryan Kalil on injured reserve-- a trio of injuries that has helped ensure a once promising year is now left in shambles.

Rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly will start in lieu of Beason, and over the last two weeks Kuechly has been as good as any linebacker in the NFL-- amassing 26 tackles, and one interception. Thankfully the Panthers had a plan in case their linebackers wouldn't be healthy, though having Beason be lost to a different injury was wholly unexpected.