When Netflix handed 2026 Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly the job as the new lead NFL game analyst, it looked good on paper. But Kuechly’s NFL broadcasting debut has already drawn criticism. And in order to point out his struggles, Tom Brady was dragged into the comparison.
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“Luke Kuechly is having a similar issue that Tom Brady had in his first season with Fox – he stops mid-sentence as he’s gathering thoughts,” wrote FOS Media reporter Ryan Glasspiegel.
Netflix trusted Kuechly after he impressed the streamer’s executives during a tryout at NBC’s Stamford, Conn., in July. They decided to team the former Carolina Panthers player with NBC’s Noah Eagle on Thursday, Sept. 10, to cover the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers face off in Australia. However, in naming him its new No. 1 NFL game analyst, Netflix was making an unconventional choice.
After all, Kuechly was a linebacker, making him a different type of former player from some of the prominent analysts Netflix had previously used. Apparently, the unconventional choice has now come with some early criticism, as Kuechly sounded hesitant at times, with frequent pauses as he gathered his thoughts during the broadcast. A reminder that playing at the highest level and broadcasting at the highest level require very different skills.
If we take Brady, for example, his broadcasting debut was with Fox Sports, covering the Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns game in 2024. His delivery lacked flow, and critics questioned the clarity of some of his analysis. Not to forget, Brady stepped into the booth after 23 elite seasons in the NFL and seven Super Bowl rings. Yet that was not enough.
That said, while Brady had no prior professional game-broadcasting experience, Netflix was already getting someone with prior broadcasting experience in Kuechly. The former Carolina player had called football games for CBS Sports Network, and he also worked as a commentator on Panthers radio broadcasts.
“It was unquestioned that his knowledge for the game was an elite level,” Eagle told Awful Announcing. “I just watched him as a player, and you can see that one, the knowledge for the game is clear, but also the preparation going into each week, and that’s what he brought with him to the audition. We called a game from last season, sat down, and immediately, he just, it was as if he could see things happening before they happen.”
Having his former Panthers teammate Greg Olsen already established at Fox may have also made Kuechly’s transition a little easier. Olsen now works alongside Joe Davis as the network’s No. 2 color commentator. But in the end, he didn’t pass with flying colors in his debut, per several users.
Much of the criticism focused on his delivery rather than his football knowledge. One viewer said he was “trying to fit WAY too much info into these windows of time,” while another described him as “motor mouthing trying to get all his analysis out.” Others felt his delivery lacked the energy expected from a television analyst, with one viewer calling him a “total football robot” and questioning his camera presence.
One of the more awkward moments came when Noah Eagle used the phrase “blind squirrel” during the broadcast, prompting Kuechly to ask, “What did you say?” Eagle then explained the saying to his broadcast partner. The interaction itself was not a major mistake, but it became one of the more noticeable awkward moments from the broadcast.
Another moment drew considerably more attention late in the game, when Kuechly said, “The Rams needed that miss, they still have a chance.” Viewers immediately questioned the assessment given the Rams’ situation, with some pointing out that the game was effectively out of reach. Stetson Bennett entered for Los Angeles shortly afterward, adding to the reaction online.
Still, many connected his lack of spontaneity to the health concerns that contributed to his decision to retire. Kuechly was only 28 when he retired from the NFL in 2020.
Over eight seasons and 118 games, Kuechly recorded more than 1,000 tackles, including 75 tackles for loss. However, his physical style came with a cost, as he suffered at least three concussions, including one in 2016 that forced him to leave the field on a cart.