New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski only felt it was fair to treat Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly like Gronk was treated.
So when Kuechly made the surprising decision to announce his retirement, Gronk made sure to congratulate Kuechly on his successes on the field on Twitter. But then Gronk quickly followed up: “when are you coming back??” That was the refrain he heard from the media when he retired. For much of the 2019 season, he brought on more questions by being non-committal. He would waver (sometimes nightly) on if he might return for the 2019 season. But he stayed retired, and it seems Kuechly is confident and comfortable in his retirement, too.
Congrats @LukeKuechly on early retirement. You were a fearless player out there on the field. Soooo….when are you coming back??
— Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) January 15, 2020
Kuechly, 28, was one of the NFL’s best linebackers during his eight-year career, but he suffered a number of injuries, including three documented concussions. The Panthers linebacker addressed his retirement in a Twitter video on Tuesday.
“It makes me sad because I love playing this game,” Kuechly said. “I’ve played it since I was a kid. It’s my favorite thing to do in the world. The memories I have from this place and this organization and being on the field with these guys, they will never go away. … There’s only one way to play this game since I was a little kid — play fast, play physical and play strong. At this point, I don’t know if I am able to do that anymore, and that’s the part that is the most difficult.
“I still want to play, but I don’t think it’s the right decision.”
“In my heart, I know it’s the right thing to do.” pic.twitter.com/mSDyJ0iEMw
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) January 15, 2020
While it’s tough to see the NFL lose one of the league’s most talented players, it’s terrific to see players like Kuechly feeling empowered to step away from the game, considering the heath risks associated with football.
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