It’s hard enough replacing the best linebacker on the planet. Luke Kuechly’s retirement puts the Carolina Panthers defense in a real bind, but also served as a gut punch to a team that’s losing a great teammate and leader.
Perhaps nobody can appreciate how great Kuechly truly was than the guy who had to face him at practice every day. Carolina’s All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is making the media rounds today in preparation for Super Bowl LIV in Miami. McCaffrey says he’s going to miss Kuechly a lot and was honored to have played with him for three years.
Christian McCaffrey on with @ProFootballTalk at radio row, asked about Kuechly retiring: "Luke is the poster child. I'm going to miss him a lot. But I'm so happy for him. One of the best to ever play the game. I was honored to get three years with him."
— Max Henson (@PanthersMax) January 30, 2020
Even if they use their No. 7 overall pick on the best linebacker on their board, the chances that the Panthers will get an adequate replacement for Kuechly on the field are slim to none.
Hopefully, Shaq Thompson will take his game to another level. If he doesn’t, we’re likely to see a significant regression for the defensive front seven.
As for McCaffrey, we knew he would be special early on when he was roasting both Kuechly and Thomas Davis during his first training camp. He’s another one of the other core pieces who need to step up in Kuechly’s absence.
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