On a day when J.J. Jansen signed up for an 18th season as the Carolina Panthers’ long snapper, Luke Kuechly praised his former teammate and expressed disappointment that his own career was cut short by injuries.
Kuechly hasn’t spoken much about the series of concussions and other health issues that influenced his decision to retire at 28 following the 2019 season. But during a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday following his selection in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026, Kuechly discussed his decision to step away from the game following eight seasons — seven of which included All-Pro selections.
“I knew it was time, and it was time for a lot of reasons. I honestly didn’t think about it a ton. I made it up in my mind that this isn’t working anymore,” Kuechly said. “And mentally, I was in a position after the season where everyone’s gonna try to convince me otherwise. Everyone’s gonna say, ‘Hey, go see this doctor. Go see that doctor.’ But I knew in my heart it was the right decision.
“So yeah, it sucked, right? I didn’t wanna be done playing. I still had a lot of juice in the tank. I loved the game. I loved the team. It obviously had nothing to do with Ron (Rivera) being gone. I just knew that it was time for me to stop playing football.”
Panthers owner David Tepper fired Rivera late in the 2019 season and replaced him with Matt Rhule, who’d had success at Temple and Baylor. Kuechly briefly worked as a Panthers pro scout early in Rhule’s tenure.
Kuechly still lives in Charlotte, serving as an analyst for the Panthers’ radio network and helping Greg Olsen coach Charlotte Christian’s middle school team.
Kuechly was fired up about Jansen returning to the Panthers on another one-year deal, saying: “How great is that?”
Kuechly, 34, who will become the second-youngest Hall of Famer to be inducted, said he’s not surprised the 40-year-old Jansen is still playing.
“He’s big. He’s strong. He takes great care of his body. I think he takes a tremendous amount of pride in his job. I think he loves the game of football. I think it scratches an itch for him that we all wish we were still playing,” Kuechly said.
Kuechly also recalled how Rhule drafted Alabama’s Thomas Fletcher as Jansen’s possible successor in the sixth round. That was five years ago.
“In Year 12 or 13 (for Jansen), they drafted a kid out of Alabama. Everyone talks about the long snapper position, and J.J. won a job and beat this kid out. And as nice as J.J. is and as thoughtful as he is, he’s ultra-competitive, too,” Kuechly said. “So am I surprised that he’s still playing? From a skill level, no. From a competitive aspect, no. From the love of the game of football, no.”