Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is set to have a big year.
Not only is the former All-Pro linebacker going to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month but on Tuesday, it was announced that he was hired by Netflix to be the platform’s lead NFL analyst for the 2026 season.
Netflix will be the home for five games this upcoming season, including a Christmas Day doubleheader. Kuechly will debut for Netflix on Sept. 10 when the Los Angeles Rams take on the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.
Kuechly has not yet called a nationally televised NFL game. But he does have some experience calling Panthers games on the radio.
The soon-to-be Hall of Famer went through a tryout with Noah Eagle and reportedly showed “immediate chemistry” with Eagle. He will now be one of the few non-quarterbacks to be counted on to call NFL games.
Kuechly will be inducted into Canton on August 8th alongside former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Carolina drafted Kuechly with the ninth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he played in 16 games and had 164 total tackles with 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries. These stats earned him the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Kuechly was consistent the next season, finishing with 156 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 interceptions over the course of 16 games. He was named the 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The linebacker played eight seasons in the NFL before concussions caused an early retirement. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler, five-time First-Team All-Pro, and two-time Second-Team All-Pro.
