Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, longtime Saints rival, retires at 28

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly shocked the New Orleans Saints and the NFL with an announcement of his retirement from football.

[jwplayer 6roV8HPR-ThvAeFxT]

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement Tuesday evening in a video shared from the official Panthers Twitter account, sending a shockwave throughout the NFL. His decision to step away from the game at 28 carries huge ramifications for the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers themselves, and every other team in the NFC South.

It’s been a big day for the Panthers, who reportedly hired former assistant and LSU Tigers coach Joe Brady to work as offensive coordinator underneath new head coach Matt Rhule. But Kuechly’s sudden retirement has to loom largest in Charlotte.

There’s no doubt about it: Kuechly was one of the best players in the NFL over the past decade, totaling 1,092 tackles in 118 games since the Panthers drafted him out of Boston College back in 2012. He’s been selected for seven Pro Bowl games and been named a first-team All-Pro on five different occasions, providing Saints quarterback Drew Brees with a rare opponent who can play chess with him each time they crossed paths thanks to his unique blend of all-world athleticism and natural comprehension of the sport.

When asked to list the toughest opponents he’d ever faced, Kuechly named Brees and Saints running back Alvin Kamara in a 2019 article with The Players’ Tribune; the feeling was mutual between Brees and Saints coach Sean Payton, who talked about Kuechly’s impact on the game at length back in 2018. His loss is going to be felt immediately in Carolina.

Kuechly’s retirement is the latest in a string of early exits from the NFL by young, elite star talent, each of them having cited injuries. Indianapolis Colts franchise quarterback Andrew Luck retired at 30 just last year; Super Bowl hero New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, also 30, bowed out a few months before that. Kuechly has suffered a serious of disquieting concussions over the last few years, and seemed to hint at the lingering impact those brain injuries have left on him in his announcement. Here’s hoping he finds peace in retirement.

[vertical-gallery id=26010]