5 things Carolina Panthers fans can be thankful for
By Dean Jones
Luke Kuechly is still on the staff
Luke Kuechly delivered a devastating blow to the Carolina Panthers this offseason by announcing his shock retirement. The legendary linebacker suffered his fair share of concussions during a glittering eight-year career, so walking away at this juncture was probably the right call to make.
To say the Panthers have missed Kuechly would be something of an understatement. They got little in the way of viable production from free-agent signing Tahir Whitehead over the first 10 games and Jermaine Carter’s standout showing against the Lions probably means we won’t be seeing the former Temple player in a starting role again.
However, Carolina’s fanbase can be thankful Kuechly is still on the staff in some capacity. The Panthers made a shrewd move to bring him in as a pro scout before formally placing him on the reserve/retired list and having someone with such a high football IQ is a cheat sheet that can stand the team in good stead moving forward.
Kuechly didn’t retire because he didn’t love football anymore. He hung up his cleats due to health worries.
His passion, knowledge, and competitive nature will be vital to the organization’s progression not only during in-game preparation but also in examining potential college recruits and free agents of interest during a crucial offseason period in 2021.