CHARLOTTE – Former Panther great Luke Kuechly is coming back to be apart of this year’s radio broadcast for seven games, joining play-by-play announcer Anish Shroff and either Jordan Gross or Jake Delhomme, along with sideline reporter Kristen Balboni. Kuechly will be in the booth for six home games (Week 1 against the Browns, Week 4 against the Cardinals, Week 5 against the 49ers, Week 7 against the Buccaneers, Week 12 against the Broncos, and Week 15 against the Steelers), and the road trip to his hometown of Cincinnati (Week 9). Jim Szoke will continue to act as the third man in the booth for the games Kuechly doesn’t do.

“You just know (Kuechly’s) going to be good at it,” Delhomme said. “I look forward to it because he’s so smart.

Football always seemed to come naturally to Kuechly, the Panthers’ 2012 first-round pick and 2013 NFL defensive player of the year.

For him, walking into the broadcast booth seems like a natural next step after his eight years here on the field. Partially, that’s because he makes everything seem so natural.

“I just love the Panthers; I love being around it,” Kuechly said. “I love the people. I think I want to be attached to the team, and the game, and the organization somehow.

“I think it could be a lot of fun. I think that’s the biggest reason, to do something around the game on game day that’s fun. You still get the atmosphere, and all the good memories I have here in Carolina.”

Below is his broadcast schedule for the 2022 season.

Week 1 vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 4 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 9 at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 12 vs. Denver Broncos
Week 15 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers