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LB Luke Kuechly won't be fined

NFL, Carolina Panthers

The NFL has informed Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera that linebacker Luke Kuechly should not have been ejected for inadvertent contact with an official in Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The league also will not fine Kuechly.

Rivera confirmed the news Wednesday.

"I'm definitely in agreement with it, and I appreciate the memo we got from the league,'' Rivera said. "I appreciate what the league's response was to us. Again, it doesn't help us, but at least there is an explanation to us and it makes sense and we can move forward and it's a learning experience for everybody in the league.''

Rivera would not expand on what the league's explanation was. But Rivera said whether penalties such as that should be reviewable is a discussion that could happen during the offseason.

Kuechly declined to comment, saying he would address the situation during his regular media ability Thursday.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year was ejected after he swung his arm as he was being restrained by back judge Steve Freeman with 1:39 left in the third quarter of the 38-17 loss.

Kuechly said he wasn't aware it was Freeman who had grabbed him from behind, adding that he simply was trying to free himself from the scrum when he made contact with the official.

On Monday, Rivera reiterated his disapproval with the call.

"I disagreed with it,'' Rivera said. "I disagreed with the explanation I was given. I looked at the tape and I felt the tape agreed with what I felt.''

Kuechly said he didn't mean to make contact.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't know who was grabbing me,'' he said after the game. "I was trying to get out of there a little bit. You've just got to stay calm in those situations and just walk away and let it take care of itself.''

It was the first time Kuechly had been ejected in an NFL game since being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft.

ESPN.com Panthers reporter David Newton and ESPN NFL Insider Ed Werder contributed to this report.

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