Bucs' O.J. Howard gives Luke Kuechly nice compliment

O.J. Howard's Bucs will face the Panthers for the first time since Luke Kuechly retired. Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs TE O.J. Howard gives retired Luke Kuechly incredible compliment

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 9/19/20

One Tampa Bay Buccaneers player is looking forward to playing the Carolina Panthers in 2020 with the circumstances a bit different than in the past.

Luke Kuechly retired during the offseason, and the Panthers will be without the man they’d relied on at the heart of their defense for so long. That’s OK with Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard, who paid Kuechly quite the compliment while previewing the game.

O.J. Howard said it’ll be kind of nice on Sunday to not have Luke Kuechly calling out their plays before the snap.

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) September 18, 2020

Kuechly was known as one of the most intelligent players in the NFL. When you hear some of the stories about his dedication, Howard’s assessment of him really isn’t a huge surprise.

Kuechly abruptly retired in January. He has since begun working for the Panthers as a pro scout.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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