Luke Kuechly is mentoring Jeremy Chinn to superstardom

Jeremy Chinn is getting valuable advice from a Carolina Panthers great.

The Carolina Panthers were dealt a significant blow when Luke Kuechly announced his retirement following the 2019 season. The perennial All-Pro is undeniably one of the team’s greatest-ever players and although he stepped away from the game for all the right reasons, his presence at the second level has been sorely missed.

However, Kuechly might just be the driving force behind one young prospect enjoying a sensational start to life in the NFL.

The Carolina Panthers made a bold move to trade back into the second round and take Jeremy Chinn at No. 64 overall and judging by what we’ve seen from the player this season, it was one of the best moves made by the front office in recent memory.

Chinn has made the smoothest of adjustments to the next level despite his complete lack of experience playing at outside linebacker. His two-touchdown outing at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12 formally announced the former Southern Illinois standout onto the national stage and the do-it-all sensation is a leading candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

He would be the first Carolina player since Kuechly to win the award, which is further testament to the impression he’s made on a team that has struggled to compensate for No. 59 not being on the field.

The Panthers might never be able to replace Kuechly. But the recently retired pro could hold the key behind Chinn becoming a real star.

How Luke Kuechly is helping Jeremy Chinn

It’s clear that Luke Kuechly still loves the game of football. He didn’t retire due to a lack of passion, but to preserve his health after a number of concussions throughout his career.

Few would argue that Kuechly didn’t earn this right after all he gave to the Carolina Panthers over a glittering eight-year spell with the organization. But the front office made the smart move to keep him around in the role of a pro scout after formally putting him on the reserve/retired list.

To the surprise of very few, this is a role Kuechly is taking very seriously.

His input has been invaluable during a period of transition and in Jeremy Chinn’s case, the five-time All-Pro is going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the rookie makes the most out of his outstanding athletic attributes.

Speaking to Sirius XM NFL Radio, Chinn outlined the level of involvement Kuechly is having on a young roster and him in particular, which has left him almost in awe of one of the greatest to ever play the linebacker position.

"“It’s really unbelievable just watching film with him. He’s not a coach so he doesn’t have to do any of that stuff but when the day is over we’ll get into the film room and watch some tape. The way he (Kuechly) analyzes film and gives you pointers on certain plays and what might be coming, why defense is tighter on the line of scrimmage and he knows exactly what’s going on. It’s great to pick his brain and he gives me tips on how to take care of my body at this point early in my career.”"

This tells us a significant amount about how seriously Kuechly is taking his new role and what an influence he’s been on Chinn’s early development. A young player couldn’t ask for a better role model and this is sure to benefit the Panthers considerably in the years to come.

Jeremy Chinn’s star potential

Whatever Jeremy Chinn is doing to get better, it’s working.

He came into the league as an athletic, physical safety from a small school that had potential. But not even the Carolina Panthers probably predicted the level of impact Chinn would have on the organization in such a short space of time.

The rookie phenom is an electrifying player to watch and his ability to be around the ball consistently probably has plenty to do with the knowledge he has gained from Luke Kuechly after transitioning to outside linebacker during training camp.

Coincidence? We think not.

Chinn has a rare ability to inspire others around him, which is remarkable for someone so young. The linebacker corps suffered their fair share of problems due to inefficient production from Tahir Whitehead and Shaq Thompson early on. But since Jermaine Carter’s introduction into a starting role, the unit has looked much better.

Simply put, Chinn can do it all. His presence in the run game is formidable, the player’s ability in coverage has improved dramatically as the season’s gone on, and he also has the explosiveness to make a difference on blitz packages.

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Carolina struck gold with Chinn and having Kuechly steering him on the right path to superstardom has been the making of him.