Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly reflects on retirement

Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has been reflecting on his bombshell retirement decision one season removed from taking a back seat.

There is no disputing the fact Luke Kuechly is one of the game’s greatest-ever linebackers. His cerebral approach and elite instincts made the biggest of impressions for the Carolina Panthers almost from the moment he stepped onto the field and this continued throughout a glittering eight-year career before the perennial All-Pro eventually decided to call it a day.

This was an absolute bombshell and one the Panthers are still recovering from. Kuechly’s absence was sorely felt at the second level in 2020 and although the team recently signed free-agent Denzel Perryman from the Los Angeles Chargers, it will never be the same as having No. 59 flying around the field.

Kuechly is looking to inspire the next generation of Carolina stars in the position of a pro scout, which was offered by head coach Matt Rhule after his retirement. This obviously wasn’t an easy call to make from the player’s perspective, but the risk versus reward scenario regarding long-term health swayed the legendary figure to hang up his cleats for good.

It’s now more than a year since Kuechly put out his emotional retirement video that came with an incredible outpouring of grief from Carolina’s fanbase.

Former Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly reflects on retirement.

He’s been relatively quiet on the issue – which is in keeping with his preference for avoiding the spotlight. But the future Pro Football Hall of Famer did shed some light on the reasoning behind his decision during an appearance on The Artist and the Athlete podcast with Lindsay Czarnia‪k‬, which also featured 2020 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Luke Combs.

"“You look at the game, the experience of playing football, it’s such a short segment of your life. I’ve loved the game since I was a little kid and still do now, but spending time around your family something starts nagging you and I started thinking about my quality of life down the road. I was getting to the point where I wasn’t comfortable. I spoke to a lot of people and finding the right time to step away isn’t always the perfect fairytale ending for some. I’d have loved to play another five years for the Carolina Panthers and win a Super Bowl. But you don’t choose when you retire if you give the game everything you’ve got.”"

It’s easy to forget when you see such herculean effort on the field that players like Kuechly are only human. The level of ferocity in which the former first-round pick approached every down is just one element that made him so great, but it did come at a cost with several concussions throughout his career.

Kuechly added that he felt his health was relatively strong throughout his NFL life, which ended with five All-Pro selections, seven trips to the Pro Bowl, together with NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year titles in consecutive years.

However, gaining a better perspective away from the game during the offseason set the wheels of retirement in motion, with “a couple of things that popped up” throughout the 2019 campaign also playing a leading role in Kuechly’s retirement.

"“I felt like I was in really good shape going into the 2019 season. But it’s a long season and a tough season. A couple of things popped up that made me think it was the right time for me to step away. You have to treat the game of football with respect and it’s done so much for me.”"

The Panthers are still benefitting from Kuechly’s extensive knowledge in a different role than one which he was accustomed to when leading Carolina’s defense to some extraordinary times, and long may it continue. There is a clear path down the coaching route for the Boston College product if he chooses, with many ex-players also becoming general managers across the league.

This is another potential career path where Kuechly is concerned, whose passion and unrivaled enthusiasm made him an iconic figure with fans and immensely feared among NFL circles when the time for game day approached.

There will never be another Kuechly. But judging by his reasons behind retirement, it has done nothing to dispel the notion he walked away at the right time.

And not many professionals can say that.

You can listen to The Artist and The Athlete with Lindsay Czarniak featuring Luke Kuechly and Luke Combs here.