Luke Kuechly Makes Feelings Known on Cam Newton’s Hall of Fame Candidacy

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class for 2026 is set. The five-man ensemble reads quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri, and former Carolina Panthers’ superstar Luke Kuechly. The newest residents of Canton, Ohio, will receive their busts on August 8.

Now that this year’s class is all set, it’s time to speculate who could be enshrined in 2027. The first-time eligibles, who all played their final season in 2021, include tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Adrian Peterson, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and one-time Carolina Panthers’ signal-caller Cam Newton.

Kuechly, who was elected to the Hall in his second year of eligibility, recently spoke to The Athletic’s Joseph Person about his former teammate, who stood at an imposing 6’5” and 245 pounds.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Carolina Panthers former player Luke Kuechly stands on the field before the start of the second quarter in Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

“Go look at pictures of him in the huddle with people (or) when we’d go out for the coin toss (against) teams you wouldn’t play a lot,” said Kuechly. “You’d walk out and shake hands with Cam Jordan with the Saints or Lavonte David with the Bucs, they’d know how big Cam is. But when you go play a team from the AFC that’s never played Cam and they’d walk out before the game, they’re like, “Holy smokes, this guy’s gigantic.”

Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) is introduced before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Newton’s 11-year NFL career, which included a 15-game stint with the Patriots in 2020, saw him throw for 32,382 yards and 194 touchdowns, with 123 interceptions. He also ran for 5,628 yards and 75 TDs, and led Carolina to four playoff appearances in five seasons from 2013-17. Person asked Kuechly, a five-time All-Pro who was Newton’s teammate for eight seasons, asked about Newton in regards to the Hall of Fame.

““I think he was one of the most dominant players in the NFL at any position,” said Kuechly, “He won an MVP. He’s been in the Super Bowl. He’s been an All-Pro. He’s been a Pro Bowler. When people think about Cam, he was so dominant and so much better of an athlete. He was bigger than everybody. He could rip it. He could run through guys. He could run around guys. He was so dominant—not just at the quarterback position, but in the NFL.”

Prime Cam Newton was different 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ndNqeueRMg
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) February 13, 2026

“That’s what everybody needs to really think about (with) the Hall of Fame, added Kuechly. “And the dominance (with) which he played the game is what I think needs to be talked about the most. He was just so much better than everybody else on the field. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do.”

There are a lot of big names on the Hall’s first-time eligible list, along with a number of players who have just missed out in recent years. It could be an uphill climb for the talented Newton in terms of Canton.

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