From one Carolina Panthers legend to another, Panthers tight end Greg Olsen reacted to the surprise retirement of teammate Luke Kuechly on Tuesday. Via Olsen's twitter, the tight end had the following to say:
Words can’t describe who Luke Kuechly is as a person, friend, and teammate. We have shared countless memories together both on the field and away from it. I feel honored to be his friend and I’ll always appreciate the impact he has had on my life. Love you buddy pic.twitter.com/0DHYkOwDp1
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) January 15, 2020
Olsen and Kuechly played together in Carolina for eight seasons between 2012 and 2019. Both Kuechly and Olsen were integral to the Panther's success over the last decade. The duo combined for 10 Pro Bowl appearances in the eight-year span and were, at times, possibly considered the best players at their positions.
At only 28 years old, Kuechly's retirement came to the surprise of many. The 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year had been named to the All-Pro First Team five times and was still one of the highest impact defensive players in the NFL.
Injuries ravaged the star linebacker during various stages of his career. After three concussions and various other injuries, health became a concern for Kuechly
As the star of Carolina's defense in 2019, Kuechly notched 144 tackles, four tackles for a loss, 12 passes deflected and two interceptions.
After dealing with his own injuries over the last two years, Olsen came back in 2019 to play 14 games for Carolina. The veteran tight end recorded 52 catches for 597 yards and two touchdowns on the year.
Both Kuechly and Olsen will go down as some of the best players in Panthers history when it's all said and done.
Kuechly's retirement leaves a big hole in the middle of the Carolina defense going into next season for new defensive coordinator Phil Snow. In the same vein, Olsen will be 35 years old at the start of next season and has heavily contemplated retirement in previous years.
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