Why Luke Kuechly should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer

The 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame game is now behind us, and with it, the enshrinement of the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class has come and gone, as well. This year's class has had its well-deserved day in the sun, but now it's time to look ahead. Next year's class has many great first-time candidates , including some of the biggest names in the sport's history.

For the next several months, arguments will be unavoidable about which players deserve to get in, which ones are the classic "Hall of Very Good" but not quite "Hall of Fame," and which players are deserving of the title "First Ballot Hall of Famer." One of the names, Luke Kuechly, should be included in the Hall of Fame. And there shouldn't be a question about his deserving of going in on the first ballot.

In next year's class, Kuechly will be going up against several all-time greats in NFL history. Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will garner the most headlines – and likely the most conversation regarding his candidacy. Beyond Manning, Kuechly is also up against two defenders from legendary defenses in Terrell Suggs and Earl Thomas, one of the best interior offensive linemen to ever play in Marshal Yanda, arguably the best kicker in the game's history in Adam Vinatieri, and one of the great personalities of all-time in Marshawn Lynch.

Then, consider the laundry list of worthy players who have yet to get in and are still waiting for their call. The limited nature of each Hall of Fame class further complicates the issue. While there is no hard-and-fast set number to class sizes, they generally come in at anywhere from four to eight members . All of that, put together, means that it's inevitable that some deserving candidates from the 2025 class will be left on the outside looking in. Kuechly, however, should not be one of them.

The case for Luke Kuechly

Kuechly was unquestionably one of, if not THE best, middle linebackers of his era. He was a dominant force on the inside of the Carolina Panthers' defense for the entirety of his career and has the numbers to prove it. In each year of his career, Kuechly put up more than 100 tackles from his middle linebacker post -- including the 2016 season, when he missed six games due to injury.

Kuechly wasn't just a force from sideline to sideline, though. He was also a disruptor in the opponents' backfield. While he only recorded 12.5 sacks during his career, Kuechly constantly fired through the offensive line and blew up blockers on the outside to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. In total, Kuechly finished his career with 31 quarterback hits and 75 tackles for loss in just eight seasons.

Looking beyond the numbers

Statistics are great, but they only tell part of the story, and they're only part of the equation when the committee decides if a player is worthy of eternal recognition in the Hall. The eye test and a player's accolades factor heavily into the conversation, as well, much to the chagrin of some fans and media personalities.

Kuechly is a slam dunk on that front, as well. Anyone who watched Kuechly throughout his career could tell you that, when healthy, he was up there with the all-time greats at the position. The accolades and recognition he's garnered from both his peers and the media bear that out. Kuechly made the Pro Bowl every season of his illustrious career, save for his rookie season – a rookie season that saw him take home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

The following season, Kuechly did himself one better and took home the AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. Additionally, Kuechly was named to the AP's first-team All-Pro team five times in his career and made the second-team twice. All of that together earned Kuechly a spot on the Hall of Fame's All-2010's team.

Should Kuechly get in on the first try?

No matter how you slice it, Kuechly was an exceptional talent at middle linebacker for the Panthers. There will be some discussion over the length of Kuechly's career and if that should count against him in the voting. However, with recent inclusions to the Hall, such as Terrell Davis and Patrick Willis, it's clear that the committee is willing to look past the longevity argument when a player makes a profound impact in a short time. Kuechly fits that bill. There should be no question about his first-ballot status come next summer.