Luke Kuechly is about to take his place among football’s immortals, but one recent list made a surprising statement before his Hall of Fame weekend even arrived.
The former Carolina Panthers inside linebacker is set to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this upcoming Saturday, joining Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri. For a player who built a career that screamed Canton from the start, the honor feels overdue. But CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo left Kuechly off his list of the 100 greatest players in NFL history when it was published Thursday morning.
That omission stands out fast when you look at what Kuechly actually put on tape and in the record book. He finished with 1090 tackles, 18 interceptions, 12.5 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles. His 18 interceptions from 2012 to 2019 are the most by a linebacker in NFL history over that span, and he also owns the single-game tackles record with 24.
The hardware matched the production. Kuechly won AP Defensive Player of the Year, made seven straight Pro Bowls, earned five first-team All-Pro selections, picked up AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and landed on the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 2010s.
Even with all of that, he didn’t crack the top 100. That leaves room for debate, especially when some of the names appearing early on the list are players Kuechly could easily sit above. Lee Roy Selmon is the clearest example cited, with Kuechly matching or surpassing Selmon in accolades despite doing it in one fewer season and with more Pro Bowls plus the same number of DPOY awards.
And Kuechly wasn’t the only Panther left out. No Carolina players made the list at all.
Cam Newton and Julius Peppers are two of the biggest names in franchise history, and Newton at least has a real argument thanks to an NFL MVP and his place in the conversation for the greatest rushing quarterback ever. Still, the lack of longevity after the 2015 Super Bowl loss hurts that case.
Peppers, meanwhile, is already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has one of the strongest resumes of any player in team history. He piled up 159.5 sacks, 52 forced fumbles, and 11 interceptions, making him the only player in NFL history with 150-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions. His career also carried across eras, with spots on both the 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade teams.
In Other News...
Panthers Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Quarterback Room
The Panthers took a look at Kyle Trask last week, but for now they have kept their quarterback room intact as they head into the preseason. With Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett and Haynes King already on hand, head coach Dave Canales said the team is balancing injuries and roster considerations while getting ready for its first exhibition game.
Canales comments make the current plan pretty clear: Carolina does not feel a need to add a fourth arm at this point, even after bringing Trask in for a workout. It is the sort of checkpoint that can change quickly in August, but for the moment the Panthers are moving forward with the group they have and keeping the focus on sorting out depth as camp shifts into game week. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Young Just Got Pulled Back Into A Panthers QB Debate
Bryce Youngs place in Carolina has mostly been framed as the long-term answer, but the conversation around the Panthers quarterback future is not as settled as it once looked. Even with the belief that Young is likely to remain the starter beyond his 2027 option year, the teams next move at the position is still being discussed in broader terms, especially as the roster continues to search for stability under center.
One name that cant be ignored in that kind of discussion is Baker Mayfield, whose situation in Tampa Bay has become part of the backdrop for Carolinas own quarterback planning. A reunion would still feel like a long shot, but it remains the sort of speculative lane the Panthers could keep in view if Young regresses and the contract picture around Mayfield eventually lines up in a workable way. [Read more 🡒]