Panthers Legend Luke Kuechly to Enter Pro Football Hall of Fame
Luke Kuechly, a Carolina Panthers icon, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.
The announcement was made during Thursday night’s NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco, part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
At just 35 years old, Kuechly will become the second-youngest player ever inducted, following Gale Sayers, who entered the Hall at 34 in 1977.
Drafted by the Panthers in 2012 as their first-round pick out of Boston College, Kuechly earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season. He followed that with an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013.
In Kuechly’s career he recorded 1,092 tackles and 18 interceptions, earning All-Pro honors in seven of his eight seasons, a feat matched by only a few NFL legends like Barry Sanders and Jim Brown.
Kuechly joins other Panthers greats in the Hall of Fame, including Julius Peppers, Sam Mills, Reggie White, and Jared Allen. However, he is the first player to be drafted by the Panthers, spend his entire career with the team, and later be enshrined in Canton.
Kuechly was joined in this year’s Hall of Fame class by Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr., Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, and former 49ers running back Roger Craig, the seniors nominee for this year’s class.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony will take place this summer in Canton, Ohio.
