Danny Buderus has been cleared of serious injury to his head and neck but will have more scans on his back, with the retiring Newcastle great returning home on Sunday after spending the night in a Sydney hospital.
Playing what would prove to be his last game as the Knights bowed out of the NRL title race with a 40-14 loss to Sydney Roosters on Saturday night, Buderus was taken from the field on the back of a medicab after being knocked out attempting to tackle Roosters juggernaut Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
A statement on the Knights website said scans confirmed Buderus had suffered no major injury to his head or neck, though media reports suggested he was suffering from a bulging disc in his neck.
There are still concerns however over his lower back, the former NSW and Test representative having undergone two back operations earlier this year.
He will visit a specialist in Newcastle in the next few days for further assessment.
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"No one wants to finish their career this way but I have been fortunate to play the game I love for this long and for us to finish in the top four this season," Buderus said.
"Thank you to everyone for their well wishes and support, not just last night but throughout my career.
"I love this club and have said on a number of occasions I am forever indebted to it."
While Buderus' health was the Knights' immediate priority after Saturday night's loss, attention will quickly turn to the club's on-field diagnosis.
With a roster loaded with veterans and a seemingly 'win-now' mentality, it is hard to gauge whether the Knights are one step closer to becoming a premiership force or at the end of a contending window.
Back-rower Beau Scott claimed the deep finals run would help some of the club's younger brigade - in particular halfback Tyrone Roberts and emerging centres Joey Leilua and Dane Gagai.
"There's a lot of young fellas in our team that haven't been through that experience that will take a lot out of this finals series," Scott said.
"I guess it's onwards and upwards for the Knights."
Filling Buderus' No.9 jumper will be the primary concern for the Knights, provided rumours of Wayne Bennett's possible departure prove to have no basis.
Bennett has been linked to both the North Queensland and Brisbane coaching roles, with an announcement on the new Cowboys coach expected in the next fortnight.
