Examining the aftermath of Luke Kuechly’s retirement 1 year on
By Dean Jones
Kuechly’s future
Luke Kuechly stated that retiring was the hardest decision he’s ever had to make. But the future Pro Football Hall of Famer is carving out a prominent role for himself on the sidelines.
Such has been the level of the impact made by Kuechly behind the scenes, it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world to see him part of the Carolina Panthers coaching staff sooner rather than later.
This would be another real shot in the arm for an organization that does possess some promising young players from which to build a future contender and having their iconic former linebacker moving up the ranks is only going to help them moving forward.
Whether Kuechly would want to take this route is up for debate.
But given the character of the man, it is an opportunity he is sure to relish if presented with it.
One has to look hard throughout league history to find someone with a higher football IQ than Kuechly. Players who came up against him often commented that he seemed to call out almost every play and pattern before it happened, which was one of the key components behind his phenomenal success.
Kuechly can turn his hand to anything football-related if given the chance, of that there is little doubt. And if he is half as good at coaching as he was between the hash marks, then the Panthers are going to reap the rewards for years to come.