Luke Kuechly retires

When the Eagles played Carolina, I just knew it would be a tough night trying to navigate the middle of the field. Seems like he was in on every play. From what I've read, appears to be a real class act too. Great player. Rhule's job just got a lot tougher.

@Parkerplenty123 said:

@doubledragon said:
Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has made the decision to retire at the age of 28 after playing for 8 seasons in the NFL. "The decision was a difficult one to make, but I feel it is the right one" Kuechly stated. He was prone to injury throughout his career which was an ultimate deciding factor. He was a great player and a lot of fun to watch.

Congrats on his decision. It was definitely the right thing to do. I just hope he made the decision in time.

Earlier in the day yesterday, before I knew Kuechly had retired, I was reading up on Steve Gleason. And I read an article from after he retired. He got out young and "was just glad to still have my health." Three years later, he was diagnosed with ALS. A year after that, he was wheelchair-bound. So you just never know.

In other words, good on Kuechly for getting out.

@Parkerplenty123 said:

@Tabe said:
Earlier in the day yesterday, before I knew Kuechly had retired, I was reading up on Steve Gleason. And I read an article from after he retired. He got out young and "was just glad to still have my health." Three years later, he was diagnosed with ALS. A year after that, he was wheelchair-bound. So you just never know.

In other words, good on Kuechly for getting out.

Thanks for sharing this story. I never heard of this player, but will definitely have to look him up. Playing this game really can do some serious damage to the body. The long term damage is still not fully known. We've had Gronk, Luck, and now Luke retire all due to health/ injuries. It might be a new trend.

Steve Gleason is a Saints legend. He blocked a punt in the first game at the Superdome after Katrina, a play immortalized in a statue outside the stadium.

Gleason made a documentary about his medical issues (called "Gleason") that is absolutely gut-wrenching. He's now an ALS advocate and was just awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.