Luke Kuechly retires

[danlhart87 6,210]

wow 

[Chrisaaron1023 1,816]

Very sad . But I'll never forget him sobbing like a toddler after a concussion. Poor dude. Respect him and wish him all the best! 

 

Hope to see him around still

[MPStack 3,234]

Good for Luke. 

[IndyD4U 688]

Walk away while you can. Smart decision.

 

Any chance Lucky's retirement opened the door for other players feeling like they couldn't walk away?

[Thunderbolt 440]

Good luck to him. NFL will miss his competitive nature, and great character.

[21isSuperman 998]

1 minute ago, IndyD4U said:

Walk away while you can. Smart decision.

 

Any chance Lucky's retirement opened the door for other players feeling like they couldn't walk away?

I don't think Luck's retirement is what caused it.  That's been the trend for several years now. Patrick Willis and Anthony Davis both retired from San Fran when they were quite young. Chris Borland followed that up by retiring early as well.

[Chloe6124 9,159]

I bet this puts Isaiah Simmons on the table for their first round pick. Maybe they won’t take a QB. Really sad.

[WarGhost21 882]

Big surprise, absolute monster and arguably the best in the game at the position. His impact in the league will be missed. Makes me cherish Darius Leonard even more now.

[bestQBever 569]

With all the concussions he suffered and the way he plays the game, it's a good decision. Not smart to sacrifice the last 40 years of your life for something you're only gonna do for another 5-10 years.

[CantBeStopped 304]

I wish Andrew would have gotten this support when he made his decision. Thank you Luke for playing the game the right way

[NFLfan 7,969]

I always respect players' decision to retire early.  Football is a brutal game. Luke is making a good decision after sustaining all those concussions. All the best to him.

[jameszeigler834 967]

1 hour ago, Chrisaaron1023 said:

Very sad . But I'll never forget him sobbing like a toddler after a concussion. Poor dude. Respect him and wish him all the best! 

 

Hope to see him around still

Im stunned didn't think he would retire at 28 but never the less good luck in retirement Luke.

[Happy2BeHere 250]

This isn’t a surprise retirement....Luck retiring weeks before the season opener now THAT’S a surprise retirement.

[adubb84 336]

Makes you think that in the near future this will become a trend. Window goes from 10-15 years to down to 10 or less. Marshawn Lynch said it best 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/sports/marshawn-lynch-advice-to-younger-players.amp

[ReMeDy 408]

1 hour ago, CantBeStopped said:

I wish Andrew would have gotten this support when he made his decision. Thank you Luke for playing the game the right way

 

No, because Kuechly did it the right way; he waited until the season is over. Luck did it when we were about to start the regular season. Luck waited so long that Ian Rappaport made the announcement for him!

[HectorRoberts 737]

He must be mentally weak! What a quitter! I hope they boo him off the field too! Hopefully Carolina is burning  his jersey right now!! 

[buccolts 2,405]

Vet min

[coltsva 1,695]

NFL starting to remind me of Logan’s Run 

[CantBeStopped 304]

8 hours ago, ReMeDy said:

 

No, because Kuechly did it the right way; he waited until the season is over. Luck did it when we were about to start the regular season. Luck waited so long that Ian Rappaport made the announcement for him!

The player gets to decide when it's their time. Not your or anyone else

[csmopar 6,727]

9 hours ago, IndyD4U said:

Walk away while you can. Smart decision.

 

Any chance Lucky's retirement opened the door for other players feeling like they couldn't walk away?

I was just wondering the same thing. 

[csmopar 6,727]

22 minutes ago, CantBeStopped said:

The player gets to decide when it's their time. Not your or anyone else

perhaps. But there's still an ethical way to do things. The way Luke did it is ETHICAL.  The way Vontae Davis did it, was unethical.

[Jared Cisneros 3,769]

Just now, csmopar said:

perhaps. But there's still an ethical way to do things. The way Luke did it is ETHICAL.  The way Vontae Davis did it, was unethical.

Agreed. I'm not even going to mention the fans. Luck put Irsay, Ballard, Reich, and his teammates in a terrible spot. Keuchly retired after the season was over and is giving their FO plenty of time to figure things out. Kuechly retired with class and I will miss him.

[csmopar 6,727]

1 minute ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Agreed. I'm not even going to mention the fans. Luck put Irsay, Ballard, Reich, and his teammates in a terrible spot. Keuchly retired after the season was over and is giving their FO plenty of time to figure things out. Kuechly retired with class and I will miss him.

Yep. I do agree with you. And I'm gonna leave it at that. I think the forum is well aware of my thoughts on that topic. Which is why I chose Vontae as the example.  Trying to stop thinking about the other example you mentioned.

[CantBeStopped 304]

22 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Agreed. I'm not even going to mention the fans. Luck put Irsay, Ballard, Reich, and his teammates in a terrible spot. Keuchly retired after the season was over and is giving their FO plenty of time to figure things out. Kuechly retired with class and I will miss him.

Tell me this. Do you think Justin Houston is a Colt had Luck retired pre free agency? Luck doesn't strike me as someone who just gives up easily. I think he truly expected to play last year until things just weren't healing properly. I will agree that Kuecklys retirement was much more ideal. 

[Jared Cisneros 3,769]

2 minutes ago, CantBeStopped said:

Tell me this. Do you think Justin Houston is a Colt had Luck retired pre free agency? Luck doesn't strike me as someone who just gives up easily. I think he truly expected to play last year until things just weren't healing properly. I will agree that Kuecklys retirement was much more ideal. 

Yes, but we would of had to pay Houston more since we weren't a contender without Luck. Houston is an edge rusher that plays defense, so he's not directly affected by Luck retiring like a WR or TE. 

[ReMeDy 408]

21 minutes ago, CantBeStopped said:

I think he truly expected to play last year until things just weren't healing properly.

 

I guess I agree... which is why I'll forgive him when he plays for us again after he's healed. Wait, he is coming back after he's healed, right?... No, of course not.

[lollygagger8 3,301]

9 hours ago, adubb84 said:

Makes you think that in the near future this will become a trend. Window goes from 10-15 years to down to 10 or less. Marshawn Lynch said it best 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/sports/marshawn-lynch-advice-to-younger-players.amp

 

I think it will be. 

 

Today's kids are soft. 

[CantBeStopped 304]

1 hour ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

I think it will be. 

 

Today's kids are soft. 

Soft?! More like smart. Leave the game young with millions of dollars and your health intact. Or grow old like Jim brown who can barely walk and referred to the 2019 draft as the 2013 draft

[IndyD4U 688]

13 hours ago, 21isSuperman said:

I don't think Luck's retirement is what caused it.  That's been the trend for several years now. Patrick Willis and Anthony Davis both retired from San Fran when they were quite young. Chris Borland followed that up by retiring early as well.

 

3 hours ago, csmopar said:

I was just wondering the same thing. 

 

A small part of me wants to believe that he has influenced his peers. To have a young QB in his prime, truly one of the faces of the NFL, retire due to injury concerns has to send a message to others that they too can walk away.

 

Kuechly will just add to this, IMO

[chad72 6,571]

Owners and GMs are going to have to look closer into placing safeguards soon, for early retirement in contracts. Plus, now I realize why Jerry Tillery of Notre Dame had questions about him, regarding his other interests last year before the draft. With early retirement on the minds of a lot of players, teams have to decide if this is a 5-6 year type of guy or a 10-15 year NFLifer type of guy.

 

2nd contract and I am out, is not a bad business decision, if you look at it objectively, being able to walk away before you put your body through too much damage, no matter how well conditioned you are.

[Flash7 1,077]

2 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

I think it will be. 

 

Today's kids are soft. 

Today's kids understand it's only a game.

[waittilnextyear 32]

 

 Retires at 28 and i think he is a Hall of Famer. 

[Shafty138 1,328]

1 hour ago, CantBeStopped said:

Soft?! More like smart. Leave the game young with millions of dollars and your health intact. Or grow old like Jim brown who can barely walk and referred to the 2019 draft as the 2013 draft

Not a historian eh?

[CantBeStopped 304]

1 minute ago, Shafty138 said:

Not a historian eh?

What exactly does being a historian have to do with anything

[crazycolt1 7,052]

4 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

I think it will be. 

 

Today's kids are soft. 

  Soft? Not hardly, smart is what I call it. 

Why should a millionaire play till they cant walk or face injuries that can effect them for the rest of their lives for fans enjoyment? 

The human body was not designed to play football and it don't take a rocket scientist to understand why a player decides to retire. 

[Myles 3,915]

4 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

I think it will be. 

 

Today's kids are soft. 

Maybe a bit.   But they are also not looking to work their butts off and risk their health when they have millions of $$ in the bank.  

I do think Luck had some influence on these decisions.   Luke will have influence on the next few that retire early.  

[lollygagger8 3,301]

2 hours ago, Flash7 said:

Today's kids understand it's only a game.

 

59 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

  Soft? Not hardly, smart is what I call it. 

Why should a millionaire play till they cant walk or face injuries that can effect them for the rest of their lives for fans enjoyment? 

The human body was not designed to play football and it don't take a rocket scientist to understand why a player decides to retire. 

 

44 minutes ago, Myles said:

Maybe a bit.   But they are also not looking to work their butts off and risk their health when they have millions of $$ in the bank.  

I do think Luck had some influence on these decisions.   Luke will have influence on the next few that retire early.  

 

I'm saying that back in the day, guys were hard as nails and played through multiple injuries and wouldn't quit so easily. Those guys played for the team, unlike kids today who play for themselves. 

 

[Flash7 1,077]

13 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

 

 

I'm saying that back in the day, guys were hard as nails and played through multiple injuries and wouldn't quit so easily. Those guys played for the team, unlike kids today who play for themselves. 

 

Overall, today's kids have it so much easier than kids in the 40's who were shipped off to war, and then came back and resumed their lives; getting married, having kids, raising a family, starting a new career, etc.. so I agree with you there.

 

But there is so much new information out there about the dangers of CTE and its affect on the brain. With new information comes new decisions to be made.

 

I think this will be the norm moving forward, and not due to softness, but due to making informed decisions. Further, with the amount of money NFL players are making these days, it makes financial sense to play for a few years and then pursue other passions while you still have your health. The players in the old days were not afforded this opportunity.

[crazycolt1 7,052]

11 minutes ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

 

 

I'm saying that back in the day, guys were hard as nails and played through multiple injuries and wouldn't quit so easily. Those guys played for the team, unlike kids today who play for themselves. 

 

Those 'back in the day' players wouldn't last one season in today's NFL.

Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster than most of the older eras players. 

Playing through injuries and risking their futures is why there are some many that live substandard lifes today (those who lived ).  

You want to rag on todays players for looking out for themselves?  

You want to throw some hate on players who don't care if you get your violent fix? 

[coltsva 1,695]

12 minutes ago, crazycolt1 said:

1. Those 'back in the day' players wouldn't last one season in today's NFL.

2. Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster than most of the older eras players. 

 

Statement 1 is not true. Give "back in the day" players access to what has evolved with training tools and philosophy, nutrition, medicines and whatever else is available today that wasn't yesterday, and they would compete just fine.

 

Statement 2 is true, but see statement 1.

 

Totally unfair to compare era's.