Luke Kuechly makes spirited Hall of Fame case for Panthers QB Cam Newton

Luke Kuechly is approaching his big day. He will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday as a result of his brilliant career with the Carolina Panthers. The stellar linebacker played 8 years in the NFL — all with the Panthers — and he was a 7-time Pro Bowl performer. He was also a 5-time All-Pro who led the league in tackles in 2 of his first 3 seasons and never had less than 102 tackles.

As Kuechly prepares to go into the Canton, Ohio shrine, he does not want to be the only Panther from the 2015 Super Bowl team to have a bust in the Hall. He attempted to make a case for the team’s quarterback, Cam Newton.

“When Cam was on the field, he was the best player on the field. He was the biggest, most physically dominant person on the field,” Kuechly said per Joseph Person of The Athletic. “He could run past guys, through guys, around guys, jump over guys. He could throw the ball anywhere on the field. And when he was at his best, he was the best player on the field at all times.”

Newton played 11 years in the NFL, including 10 with the Panthers. He was the No. 1 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft after his college career at Auburn. He was a three-time Pro Bowl performer, a one-time first-team All-Pro and the 2015 Most Valuable Player. He led the Panthers to a 15-1 regular-season record that season and the team made it to Super Bowl 50. The Panthers lost that game 24-10 to the Denver Broncos.

Newton certainly played to a Hall of Fame level that season, but it’s not clear that the rest of his career was up to that level.

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