Hall-of-Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly may turn out to be a Hall-of-Fame broadcaster as well.
The 35-year-old Carolina Panthers great proved to be the unquestioned star of Netflix‘s NFL livestream from Melbourne, Australia on what was Thursday evening back in the US.
‘Luke Kuechly is a natural,’ one fan wrote on X.
‘How has no one put Luke Kuechly into a broadcast booth until now,’ another asked.
One fan declared: ‘Luke Kuechly is absolutely crushing it in the booth. So damn good!’
Netflix’s first few forays into live sports were met with a considerable amount of criticism, some of which was aimed at on-air talent.
Noah Eagle (left) and Luke Kuechly (right) received very positive reviews from NFL fans
Kuechly, 35, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month after retiring at 28
But with the arrival of Kuechly, an affable Cincinnati native who now coaches middle school football in Charlotte, the streaming giant appears to have struck the right chord with viewers.
‘All of a sudden I’m a big fan of NFL on Netflix,’ one fan wrote on X. ‘Kuechly just a pro’s pro.’
Popular sports and business influencer Joe Pompliano described ‘the best part of this game’ being the chance to ‘hear Luke Kuechly on a primetime broadcast.’
He then followed with another post in which he claimed to have seen the 6ft 3in Kuechly recently at the grocery store: ‘He still looks like he could suit up for a team tomorrow.’
Kuechly abruptly retired from the NFL at just 28 after sustaining another in a series of concussions during the 2020 season. Years earlier, the Boston College product was seen crying on the field after suffering a severe concussion against the New Orleans Saints.
He was carted off the field but still went on to earn two more Pro Bowl nods over his final three seasons.
The LA Rams take the field before a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne
Other commenters also applauded Noah Eagle, the son of longtime announcer Ian Eagle, for his on-air chemistry with Kuechly.
‘Noah Eagle & Luke Kuechly are killing it on this broadcast,’ one fan wrote. ‘Chemistry, insight, humor, it’s all there. They sound like they’ve been doing games together for years.’
Unfortunately, fans will need to wait until Thanksgiving eve for Netflix to air another NFL game with the pair. The streaming service bought the rights to the Green Bay Packers matchup with the Rams on November 25.
Netflix is also carrying two Christmas Day games (Packers-Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills-Denver Broncos) before hosting another matchup in Week 18. In addition to his work with Netflix, Kuechly is also slated to announce a dozen games for the Panthers Radio Network this season.
