After 8 amazing, hall of fame caliber seasons, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has announced his surprising retirement. This was a complete surprise for basically the entire world, but Kuechly had felt like it was time for himself to step away. He made his announcement via the Panthers social media account through a very heart warming, emotional video. You can tell Kuechly was so well respected throughout the league by the way his retirement was received by certain players. Players who lined up next to him like Thomas Davis, or who played against him just once like Juju Smith-Schuster, both posted heartfelt notes about Kuechly to show their respect and gratitude for him. Kuechly was a relatively quiet person who kept to himself, from an outsiders perspective. Kuechly doesn't even have an Instagram or Twitter. From everything I've ever hear about him, he's a super kind and welcoming person that's genuine in everything he does. Based off of what I took away from his retirement, it had nothing to do with the Panthers new coaching staff. Just one week prior to his announcement, Kuechly expressed his excitement about working with Coach Rhule. He'd texted NFL Network reporter, Tiffany Blackman, a quote about his thoughts on the hire. He texted her during a hunting trip, and I'm assuming during this camping trip, he had taken some time to re-evaluate his future. Playing middle linebacker entails constant hitting and even on the plays where you don't get hit directly in the head, you still have the whiplash of making a hit. Kuechly didn't seem like he really wanted to make this decision, but more so that he was making a choice to take care of his body and physical/mental health. I surely wish Kuechly the best in what ever his future holds. I expect Kuechly to be wearing a gold jacket in Canton one day, he's one of the best to play his position in this era, and I truly hope the best for him...