Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has kept himself busy since his playing career ended almost seven years ago in 2019. Since then, Kuechly served as a pro scout for the Panthers from 2020 to 2021 and has been an advocate for several NFL initiatives over the past decade. The 35-year-old was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year. For the 2026 NFL season, though, Kuechly has expanded his portfolio by transitioning into a color commentator for the league's broadcast. Kuechly is currently making his debut on Thursday, Sept. 10, for the Melbourne, Australia, game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams . He is joined by tenured American sportscaster Noah Eagle as the NFL world anticipates Kuechly's performance.
NFL analysts compared Kuechly to other former NFL stars who have attempted to step into the broadcast booth.
Former NFL players marveled at how seamless Kuechly's transition into a color commentator has been so far.
Kuechly retired from professional football after spending eight years in the league from 2012 to 2019, all with the Panthers. He won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and then turned it into the Defensive Player of the Year award the next season. It remains to be seen how many more games Kuechly will commentate this season.
So far, it seems Luke Kuechly's commentary is going great since a veteran in the field recently gave his stamp of approval to the NFL legend's work. On X/Twitter, American anchor, reporter, and host of the NFL RedZone Show Scott Hanson asserted that Kuechly is indeed great at a lot of things, including commentary during live NFL games.
"Confirmed. Luke Kuechly is good at everything @LukeKuechly," Hanson posted.
In Luke Kuechly's first game as part of the broadcasting team, coach Kyle Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers blew out coach Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams by 20 points, 27-7. After a 10-7 score at the half, the 49ers kept the Rams scoreless in the second half while scoring 17 straight points.
Read more:
NFL Announcers Week 1: Full Broadcast Crew Schedule for Every Major Game
NFL Legend Luke Kuechly Endorses Rookie For Defensive Honors
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