On Tuesday night, the NFL world was dealt the surprise of the offseason. At the age of 28, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly decided to call it a career.
Kuechly will hang up his cleats after playing eight seasons all for the Panthers. He is widely regarded as the league’s best linebacker and will finish his career with 1,092 tackles, 18 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, and 66 pass defenses in 118 regular season games. He made seven consecutive Pro Bowls, was a first-team All-Pro five times, and made it to Super Bowl 50 with the Panthers.
Kuechly’s decision prompted a lot of tributes from current and former members of the NFL.