The most recent crop of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees was announced during the NFL Honors award ceremony. Four players received the prestigious honor this time around, but Carolina Panthers legend Luke Kuechly was not one of them.
Kuechly was one of the best linebackers in the league during his day. He helped the Panthers to a sparkling 15-1 record in the 2015 NFL season. Carolina made the Super Bowl during that season, though they lost to the Denver Broncos.
Kuechly was an elite talent and seemed to have a long career ahead of him. However, he shocked the world in 2019 when he retired from the game. The Panthers star was just 28 years old and left football as a five-time All-Pro selection and a seven-time Pro Bowler.
Luke Kuechly Shares His View on a Potential NFL Comeback
Kuechly left the NFL at a relatively young age. In fact, many would argue that he was in his prime. This has led many fans and media members to wonder about the potential of Kuechly attempting a comeback.
The Panthers icon addressed the topic in a recent interview. He sat down with RG contributor DJ Siddiqi. Kuechly doused the idea of a potential return in cold water during this interview.
“No chance,” Kuechly said. ”For the first one or two years I was like, ‘Man, I can still do this. I can go play,’” Kuechly said. “Then Year 3 came, I do radio with the Panthers, so I’m out there on the field pregame, some of those guys run by, and I’m like, ‘I want nothing to do with that.’
”During the first couple years [after retirement], you’re like, ‘I still got a little juice.’ Then as time progresses you’re like, ‘Nah, I’m good,'” the Panthers icon continued during his interview with RG.
Was Luke Kuechly SNUBBED from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer?
(📸 Ig/pickinem) pic.twitter.com/3Yh7dMyL3G
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 15, 2025
It’s hard not to wonder what the Panthers would look like now with Kuechly on the field. Carolina has fallen off in a major way since the turn of the decade. In fact, they have not made the playoffs since the 2017 season.
Carolina’s best season without Kuechly came in 2022. They finished 7-10 and entered the offseason with some optimism. The Panthers then made a major splash to acquire the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Panthers picked Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to lead the franchise. Young struggled in his rookie campaign; Carolina as a whole took a major step back. They ended the 2023 season with a brutal 2-15 record.
It seemed as if things were headed a similar way in 2024. The Panthers were 1-7 after eight weeks and even benched Young at one point. But once Young returned, the team seemed rejuvenated. For the first time, the Alabama product looked the part of a franchise signal-caller.
The Panthers finished 5-12 in 2024. This is certainly not a great record by any means. Carolina has a ton of work to do this offseason, especially if they want to end 2025 with a winning record. All things considered, though, the future seems bright for Young and the Panthers, though, they could undoubtedly use someone of Kuechly’s talent on a defense that finished 32nd in PFSN’s Defense+ metric (53.5, F).