Tag: Luke Kuechly retires

Luke Kuechly on retirement decision: ‘I gave it everything I had’

For his part, Kuechly doesn’t seem to have any second thoughts about not playing anymore.

Heading into the 2020 NFL draft, the Panthers have some rather large holes to fill on their roster. One of the biggest is in the middle of their defense, where Luke Kuechly played inside linebacker the last eight years at a level we have rarely seen in the NFL.

In January, Kuechly announced his retirement from the league, beginning an exodus of almost every defensive starter in Carolina from 2019. There are some tantalyzing prospects who could potentially replace him like Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons or Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray, but nobody will be able to live up to the high standard Kuechly set.

For his part, Kuechly doesn’t seem to have any second thoughts about not playing anymore. Speaking in an appearance on NBCSN, Kuechly told Mike Tirico that he knew it was time and he gave it everything he had.

“As the season concluded, I really kind of sat back and thought about it … I couldn’t have asked for a better situation (in Carolina), but once the season ended, I just knew that I had given it everthing I had. I was done at that point and it had nothing to do with changes in coaches or anything like that. I just think I knew in my heart that I gave it everything I had, and at this point, it was time to move in a different direction. You have to make hard decisions in your life and I think this is one of the harder ones I’ve had to make, but hopefully I can find a way to stay involved in football somehow.”

A few weeks after his retirement, there was talk of Kuechly potentially joining Matt Rhule’s staff, but he hasn’t been hired in any official capacity.

Kuechly walked away having played in 118 games, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pros, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award and a Defensive Player of the Year. He was recently named to the NFL’s All-Decade team along with Julius Peppers and is a lock to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Christian McCaffrey on Luke Kuechly: ‘I’m going to miss him a lot’

It’s hard enough replacing the best linebacker on the planet.

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.

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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Luke Kuechly led the NFL in ‘hustle stops’ since 2017 season

This might be the most Luke Kuechly stat ever, so it’s only appropriate that he led the NFL in it, even as his career wound down.

This might be the most Luke Kuechly stat ever, so it’s only appropriate that he led the NFL in it, even as his career wound down.

According to Next Gen Stats, no player in the league made more “hustle stops” over the last three seasons than Kuechly. Those plays include tackles when a defender travels 20 or more yards to make the stop. Kuechly posted 43 of them since 2017.

Like most athletes who make it to this level, Kuechly had tremendous physical skills. His hustle was a major reason why he was able to earn five first-team All Pro nods during his career, though. It may be a long time before we see another linebacker of his caliber.

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Luke Kuechly’s legacy is about more than just football

What will stick with me more than anything was how Kuechly managed to do it.

This one hurt. For any impartial observer, objective analyst or mere fan of football, the sudden retirement of Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly leaves the NFL a lesser place than it was before his exit.

Whether Kuechly or Bobby Wagner was actually the better middle linebacker will likely be debated for many years. There’s no questioning the impact that Kuechly made on the sport, though. For eight years, he played his position as well as anybody and in some ways he set a new standard for off-ball linebackers.

The numbers speak for themselves. Kuechly tallied over 1,000 combined tackles during his time in the league. 75 of them went for a loss. In addition to stout run defense, Kuechly was masterful in coverage. His ball skills could compare favorably even with some of the top defensive backs in the game. In the end, Kuechly posted 18 interceptions and 66 pass breakups. He had a nose for the ball, too. Kuechly forced seven fumbles and recovered nine of them. Throw in another 12.5 sacks and you’ll see why he will go down as one of the best defenders to ever do it.

Kuechly’s real legacy goes deeper than just the stats or the wins he helped the Panthers secure during his remarkable eight-year run. What we will remember most is how Kuechly managed to do it.

Athleticism helped make Kuechly into a great linebacker, but it was his dedication to film and preparation that made him a generational talent. Kuechly approached every opponent with a level of detail that matched some of the most committed competitors of our time. Like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, Kuechly elevated himself to an elite level of play by paying fanatical attention to the little things.

Watch Kuechly break down this clip of Giants running back Saquon Barkley as part of Amazon’s All or Nothing season featuring the Panthers.

Kuechly’s understanding of and passion for the game here is transparent. He genuinely loved this part of his job.

Sometimes, you could see that work ethic paying off in real time. Kuechly developed a habit of predicting what the offense was doing, calling out the play and shutting it down. Other all-time great linebackers like Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were no slouches in this area and had their own unique qualities, but for my money Kuechly was better at this part of the game than anyone we’ve seen in the modern era.

Preparing for and playing the game the right way only begins to tell the story, though. By all accounts, Kuechly is a genuinely excellent person who has always treated everyone around him with respect and kindness. The outpouring of affection and respect that his teammates and rivals are showing on social media right now show what kind of man he is.

There’s a common thread in many of those tweets about No. 59: he was pure and true to himself. It’s an increasingly rare quality for a person to be genuine, but Kuechly’s authenticity has always shined through.

When we had a chance to interview Kuechly back in November of 2017, we asked about his legacy and his process. We also wanted to know more about the person, though. When we asked what he bought with his first NFL paycheck he answered that he always wanted a big comfortable couch, so that’s what he got. That’s the kind of thing that sticks with you.

Kuechly’s humility is extremely refreshing in an era when so many people (professional athletes and otherwise) get lost in their own hype. It may also be the primary quality that helped Kuechly excel at what he did.

Hopefully, his efforts will land him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day. If not, it will take exactly nothing away from what he’s accomplished. Congratulations to a one-of-a-kind individual on an exemplary career.

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Panthers players react to shocking news of Luke Kuechly’s retirement

As you might imagine, Kuechly’s teammates are taking the shocking news pretty hard.

Gut-punched. That’s the sensation we’re feeling right now at Panthers Wire, and it’s one a lot of Carolina fans must be sharing. Tonight, All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement from the NFL. He leaves behind a massive void in the middle of the team’s defense and an even bigger one in its heart.

As you might imagine, Kuechly’s teammates are taking the shocking news pretty hard. Here’s what they are saying on Twitter about it.

TE Greg Olsen

DE Mario Addison

OT Dennis Daley

Former LB Thomas Davis

CB Donte Jackson

RB Reggie Bonnafon

WR Jarius Wright

S Tre Boston

WR D.J. Moore

The team will almost certainly be looking to pick up a linebacker early in this year’s draft class to take his place in the lineup. However, even if they get a tremendous talent at No. 7 there’s no replacing what Kuechly has meant to this team. It’s been a privilege watching and writing about Kuechly’s game and he will be missed immensely.

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Luke Kuechly’s retirement makes Isaiah Simmons prime target for Panthers

Luke Kuechly’s shocking retirement could have the Carolina Panthers targeting Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the 2020 NFL draft

The NFL Playoffs aren’t done yet, but the offseason is already kicking off with a shocking development, as Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly announced his retirement after just eight seasons Tuesday night.

A five-time first-team All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Kuechly has been considered the gold standard at his position for most of his career. His unexpected retirement immediately leaves a gigantic void at the heart of the Carolina defense, both on the field and in the locker room.

That could leave the Panthers targeting his replacement early in the 2020 NFL draft, and they’ll have a worthy target in Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons.

A Swiss Army knife of a defensive weapon, Simmons lined up all over the field for the Tigers, making plays from the edge, off the ball, and even as a defensive back. His rare combination of size, athleticism and explosiveness have made him one of the nation’s most dynamic playmakers on defense, and Tigers did a fantastic job of maximizing his unique skill set.

The Panthers currently hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, which is in perfect range to land Simmons, especially if multiple quarterbacks come off the board ahead of them. With LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert all having a solid chance of going in the top six picks, chances are high that Simmons would still be on the board for Carolina at No. 7.

A player like Kuechly is never completely replaced, but if the Panthers can land Simmons, his absence would be far less noticeable, for the 2020 season and beyond.

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Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly announces retirement

Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly just announced that he’s walking away from football.

Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly just announced that he’s walking away from football in a video shared by the team. Watch.

Kuechly was a first-round pick by Carolina in the 2012 draft. He’s been one of the best and most consistent defenders in the league since that selection. In 118 games, he’s totaled a remarkable 1,092 combined tackles. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time First Team All-Pro.

Kuechly’s legacy is literally still being written, but he should be remembered as one of the top-two linebackers of this era at the very least. Stunning.

This is obviously a sad day for Kuechly, his fans and everyone else involved. What matters above all is his life. Kuechly suffered several concussions during his career and if he’s putting his long-term health at risk by continuing to play then this is ultimately for the best.

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