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David Newton
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly made the 111-mile journey from his childhood home in Cincinnati to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, with a «buddy» in the third or fourth grade.
He was dreaming then of one day joining the best of the best even before he seriously began playing football.
«Just to walk around the Hall and see stuff from Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Ray Lewis … and all those games that those guys played in,» Kuechly recalled as he anticipated the possibility of joining them in the Hall when the 2026 class is announced on Thursday night at NFL Honors.
All those games.
That’s significant as it pertains to Kuechly and the Hall of Fame. Manning played in 293 games (including playoffs) over the course 18 seasons. Favre played 326 over 20 years. Lewis played 249 over 17 seasons.
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Kuechly played in 125, retiring after eight seasons due to long-term health concerns after sustaining three documented concussions between 2015 and 2017.
That he finished among the seven finalists for the Hall in 2025, his first year of eligibility, and is a finalist again speaks to his accomplishments during such a short career.
The other 14 candidates for this year’s class averaged 15.4 seasons, led by kicker Adam Vinatieri with 24. Most inductees played 11 to 20 seasons.
Only 11 Hall of Famers who began their careers after 1949 played eight or fewer seasons, according to ESPN Research: Earl Campbell (8), Dwight Stephenson (8), Patrick Willis (8), Bobby Dillon (8), Jimbo Covert (8), Gale Sayers (7), Terrell Davis (7), Kenny Easley (7), Sterling Sharpe (7), Dick Stanfel (7) and Doak Walker (6).
Only six of them played since 1980.
»It’s something I certainly didn’t think about when I decided to move on and stop playing,» Kuechly said of making the Hall. «I played my eight years and had a ton of fun doing it. The chips fall where they may.»
But Kuechly admitted it’s «super cool» to be mentioned in the same breath as the other 14 finalists, who had long, decorated careers.
Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will be played. Ten years ago, the Panthers played the Super Bowl there and suffered what Kuechly described as a «deeply painful experience» in the 24-10 loss to the Denver Broncos.
«The further you get away from it, the more you appreciate it,» Kuechly said of the 2015 Super Bowl. «Even though we did not win that game, it was the very high point of your career.»
Kuechly had 10 tackles, including a sack, and the defense limited Manning to 141 yards passing and the Broncos’ offense to 194 total yards and 11 first downs.
The game was decided by two lost fumbles by Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, which resulted in 14 Denver points.
«That team was so close,» Kuechly said.
Kuechly has remained connected to many of his 2015 teammates. He coaches a middle school team at Charlotte Christian with tight end Greg Olsen and running back Jonathan Stewart. He is also a part of the Panthers’ radio network as a color analyst.
«I love the game of football anyway,» Kuechly said. «To be around it with the guys that I played with is special.»
Rob Gronkowski on a throw by Tom Brady to secure a 24-20 victory over the Patriots on «Monday Night Football» in 2013.
The official initially threw a flag on Kuechly but then picked it up, ruling the pass was not catchable.
«You look at football and draw football up and talk about situations you want to be in as a player, that is the situation that you die for,» Kuechly recalled. «Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski and [coach] Bill Belichick, that’s pretty sweet.»
Was it pass interference?
«I was kind of stuck on him,» Kuechly said. «Like Velcro. They picked that flag up. I was vindicated.»
Kuechly’s résumé may be Hall-worthy even if longevity isn’t a part of it.
He was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year in his second season. He was selected to seven Pro Bowls, earned five first-team All-Pro selections and was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team.
Former Panthers coach Ron Rivera said after last year’s HOF class was announced that Kuechly «absolutely» deserved to be a first-ballot selection, calling him one of the best to play the game.
Kuechly will find out Thursday whether he will get in on his second try.
«It would be super cool if it ends up happening,» Kuechly said. «It just kind of would close the chapter of your playing career. Once you get through playing, you can’t make any more tackles.
«This is kind of the last check mark of the career.»
