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Luke Kuechly, formerly of the Carolina Panthers
San Francisco will have a special place in the hearts of Carolina Panthers fans. One decade ago, the Panthers had their most recent Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl 50. Unfortunately, the Panthers’ night ended in a disappointing 24-10 defeat to the Denver Broncos. However, this week will be remembered much more fondly by both fans and some who played in that Super Bowl, including linebacker Luke Kuechly.
On Thursday at the NFL Honors, the 2026 Hall of Fame class was announced. The new inductees were Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, Adam Vinatieri, and Kuechly.
Kuechly had an eight-year career cut short by concussion issues that ultimately led to his retirement, but he made the most of his time in the NFL, earning five All-Pro selections. Now in just his second year of eligibility, Kuechly will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
2nd Youngest Inductee
When Luke Kuechly steps foot on the stage in Canton, Ohio, for his Hall of Fame induction, he will be 35 years old, and that will make him the second youngest person inducted into the Hall of Fame, besides Gale Sayers.
Kuechly racked up the accomplishments in his short time in the league. He was AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, AP Defensive Player of the Year, had eight consecutive seasons of 100 tackles or more, led the league in tackles twice, and was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
Kuechly’s linebacker partner in crime for nearly all of his career, Thomas Davis, felt that Kuechly deserved to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Darin Gantt of Panthers.com wrote about Davis’ thoughts ahead of Kuechly’s induction announcement.
“He better get in, but Luke Kuechly is a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” his former teammate Thomas Davis said. “I watched him play. I’ve watched other guys that have become first ballot Hall of Famers, and I know what it looks like. I got to witness, I got to watch him, the work that he’s been able to put in on and off the field, the amount of energy and effort that he put in to understanding the game of football and knowing what the other teams were gonna do, getting all of his teammates lined up, that is a guy that should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so I hope and I pray that without a doubt that these voters got this right this time.”
Davis was not the only Panthers defensive legend pulling for Kuechly.
Julius Peppers Broke the News
Luke Kuechly is regarded by many as the greatest Panthers defensive player, but for others, it is Julius Peppers.
Peppers played for the Panthers from 2002 to 2009 and finished his career with the team from 2017 to 2018. He burst onto the scene in his rookie year with 12 sacks and was a member of both the 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade teams.
Two years ago, in 2024, Peppers was enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and this year he helped deliver that honor to Kuechly.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Twitter page shared a video of the moment Peppers informed Kuechly of his Hall of Fame selection. Kuechly was emotional and gave his initial thoughts on being selected for such a prestigious honor.
“I think football is the greatest team game ever, and what makes the game special is all of the other guys that are on your team, and it’s a representation of your team as a whole, and not just as an individual,” Kuechly said.
Even in the midst of receiving the greatest individual honor of his career, Kuechly made the moment about not just himself, but those who helped him along the way as well. That mentality is why Kuechly was a beloved teammate and why he is the second-youngest Hall of Fame inductee in NFL history.
Chad Gelfand Chad Gelfand is a journalist covering the NFL with focus on the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, and Carolina Panthers for Heavy.com. Gelfand has over six years of writing experience.
Gelfand previously covered the Philadelphia Eagles for Last Word On Sports. He also has experience writing in the worlds of entertainment and wrestling.
Gelfand was an Entertainment writer for the List.com, and a contributor for Fansided’s wrestling website Daily DDT and The Wrestling Estate. Gelfand has also appeared multiple times as a guest on POST Wrestling’s “Bushby and Thompson’s Wrestling Adventure” podcast. More about Chad Gelfand
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