Carolina Panthers: ‘No real change’ in Luke Kuechly talks

By Kevin Parvizi | Jul 30, 2015

Carolina Panthers superstar middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is the heart-and-soul of a defense that has led its team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, and there’s no doubt in everyone’s mind that he deserves to be one of the NFL’s highest-paid players. Kansas City Chiefs elite 3-4 outside linebacker Justin Houston signed a six-year, $101 million contract that makes him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history, but even though Kuechly is an elite player in his own right, it’s hard to see an elite 4-3 MLB making the same kind of money that an elite 3-4 OLB earns.

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While the Panthers have obviously expressed interest in re-signing one of their most important players and locker room leaders, the Charlotte Observer’s Joe Person reported today that Kuechly stated there has been “no real change” in contract talks. Person added that Kuechly was “noncommittal” about whether or not he would like to get a new deal done before the start of the 2015 season.

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Most teams and players prefer not to talk during the season in an effort to minimize distractions, and the Panthers are no different in this case. As Panthers GM Dave Gettleman stated, via Black and Blue Review’s Bill Voth, the organization will not negotiate contracts during the season, so if both sides would like to get something done, then they’ll have to do it in about a month’s time.

The Panthers have already rewarded star strong-side linebacker Thomas Davis with a new deal this season, giving another vital player to their playoff success a two-year extension worth $18 million over the next three years. That’s not chump change for a 32-year-old, even if it’s a 32-year-old who has recovered from three ACL tears with no signs of decline and is an elite coverage linebacker.

Kuechly himself has also become something of a top-notch coverage LB in his own right, in addition to showing off his elite range and league-best instincts in the running game. Last year, the 24-year-old Boston College product, who just received his degree in business marketing from the school, recorded 153 tackles (3-for-3 150-tackle season in his career) with a career-high three sacks and a career-high 11 passes defended after picking off a whopping four passes in 2013.

After blossoming as a sophomore, Kuechly just keeps getting better and better, and there’s no doubt that he definitely deserves to be the highest-paid inside linebacker in the game. He has little weaknesses, is incredibly young, means more to this team than anyone besides Cam Newton, and is the best at his position.

Per OverTheCap.com, no inside linebacker makes $10 million per year, as Pittsburgh Steelers leader Lawrence Timmons earned about $9.559 million on his contract. Seattle Seahawks contract-year star MLB Bobby Wagner is looking to hit that $10 million benchmark, but I could see Kuechly clearing it with ease.

I’m sure that’s what he’s looking for, but, whatever the case, I’d love to see the Carolina Panthers and Kuechly getting a deal done before the season ends. They drafted Shaq Thompson and locked up Davis for life, so let’s see them lock up Kuechly for what should be the best years of his career; he fits the organization almost too perfectly.

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