NFL Notebook: Conference Championships, Luke Kuechly, awards and more

The Legacy of Luke Kuechly

Is Luke Kuechly a Hall of Famer? I think this tweet answers the question.

I could spend paragraphs talking about Kuechly’s greatness, both on and off the field. However, I’m more interested in how Kuechly’s sudden retirement affects other NFL players. Rather, I wonder if Kuechly’s decision was affected by the early retirements of Calvin Johnson, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and Andrew Luck.

Willis was the first of the foursome to announce his retirement back in March 2015. Borland followed a week later, Johnson’s came a year later and Luck left the game a few months ago. Health and safety issues contributed to all four players’ decisions, and while it likely influenced Kuechly’s announcement, it’s too late to wonder if this will become a new trend or not.

This is the trend. The NFL has finally become a place where players in their prime are prioritizing their health and safety over playing the game they love at an almost elite ability. It’s quite fascinating, actually, how at the same time where players are extending their careers, they also seem to be cutting their careers short.

In a time where players are experimenting with new workout regimens and enduring new, advanced medical treatments, players are also realizing how their lives have been affected by the game they love so much. That’s how it goes in this new age of information, and there’s no wrong answer to how a player deals with this abundance of information.

As for Kuechly, I wish him nothing but the best in whatever he does next. Not that he’ll need it, though. He has too much talent and knowledge to fail at whatever career path he chooses next.