Luke Kuechly abruptly announces retirement after eight NFL seasons

The Carolina Panthers have lost an important piece of their team to retirement.

Star linebacker Luke Kuechly announced on Tuesday that he is hanging up his cleats after eight seasons in his league.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play this game since I was in fourth grade” said Kuechly.

“I’ve been with the Panthers now for eight years and it’s never the right time to step away but now is the right time for me. It’s a tough decision, I’ve thought about it a lot and I think now is the right chance for me to move on.”

The news comes somewhat of a surprise since he is still only 28 years old and is fresh off a successful 2019 campaign that saw him get selected to his seventh career Pro Bowl.

He contributes his issues with concussions and other lingering injuries as the main factor behind his decision. If he can’t give it 100% on the field, it’s simply not worth risking his future well being. He hopes to still be involved in the league in some capacity.

Kuechly amassed 1092 combined tackles, 67 passes defended, 18 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, nine fumble recoveries, and seven forced fumbles in 118 career games.