Luke Kuechly to return to Carolina Panthers, join radio broadcast

Luke Kuechly made a tremendous impact on and off the field during his eight-year NFL career with the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly retired after the 2019 season, and he has since spent time with Carolina’s scouting department, in addition to some other roles elsewhere.

Now, Kuechly is again making his return to the Panthers, this time in the radio broadcast booth. The Panthers announced the news on Monday morning. According to the announcement, Kuechly will be in the booth for seven games alongside play-by-play announcer Anish Shroff and either Jordan Gross or Jake Delhomme.

In Carolina’s release, Kuechly said that he loves the team and he is excited to be able to stay around the organization that he once called home. He will be in the booth for six home games (Weeks 1, 4, 5, 7, 12, and 15) and Carolina’s Week 9 road trip to Cincinnati.

“I just love the Panthers; I love being around it,” Kuechly said. “I love the people. I think I want to be attached to the team, and the game, and the organization somehow.

“I think it could be a lot of fun. I think that’s the biggest reason, to do something around the game on game day that’s fun. You still get the atmosphere, and all the good memories I have here in Carolina.”

Kuechly is excited for the new challenge in the Panthers radio booth

Kuechly knows that making the jump to the broadcast booth will be a challenge, but it’s one that he is open to. He showed during his playing career that he is able to adapt and change to perform at a high level, and he looks to do the same in a different capacity now. He has also talked to other that have made the leap as he transitions into his new role

“They just talk about how much fun it’s been,” he said. “I think at the end of the day, it’s really just football. And I think talking about football is relatively easy.

“There’s going to be a learning curve, and things happen way faster in the booth. To be able to deliver a concise message and paint a picture for somebody is something these guys are really good at, and I’m going to have to get used to.”

In his NFL career, Kuechly totaled 1,092 tackles, 75 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and 31 quarterback hits, along with 18 interceptions, 66 passes defended, seven forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries. Kuechly was a Pro Bowler seven times, earning a selection in all but one of his NFL years. He was also a five-time All-Pro and the 2013 AP Defensive Player of the Year.