During Thursday's NFL Honors, the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was officially announced, and of course, the fact that Eli Manning didn't get in for a second year in a row still has New York Giants fans infuriated.
Even though this year's class had some well-deserved selections like Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Roger Craig, and Adam Vinatieri, there was another player who was selected during his second year of eligibility that may have caught some off guard. That player is former Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.
Now, this is in no way disparaging Kuechly as a player; he would've certainly gotten in the Hall of Fame eventually, but the fact that he got in before a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a little puzzling.
Luke Kuechly getting in HoF before Eli Manning is ultimate gut-punch
Kuechly was a great player, don't get me wrong. The Pro Bowl linebacker spent his entire eight-year career with the Carolina Panthers, and during that stretch, he was a seven-time Pro Bowler, named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, and named NFL Defensive Player of the Year the following year in 2013. Kuechly was also named first-team All-Pro five times.
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With that being said, the now 34-year-old played in the NFL for just eight seasons, with injuries toward the latter end of his career limiting his playing time, which soon led to his retirement. Manning, on the other hand, spent 16 seasons with the G-Men and was deemed the Iron Man of the NFL, having barely missed a snap throughout his career.
And while we can't blame Kuechly for this, Manning won two Super Bowls with Big Blue, while Kuechly has been to the Big Dance just once in his career, in Super Bowl 50 in a losing effort against the Denver Broncos. He and Carolina also appeared in the postseason four times throughout eight years with the franchise.
Can I also mention he only racked up just 12.5 sacks during his career?
Again, Luke Kuechly was a great player who should be a Hall of Famer, but getting in before Manning is quite a stretch. Yes, Brees, Fitzgerald, Vinatieri, and Craig definitely belong in Canton, but putting Luke Kuechly in over Eli, who has already been inexplicably denied twice, just does not sit right.