Luke Kuechly is finished playing football with the Carolina Panthers, but he might not be done with the team.
Kuechly is interested in having a role with the Panthers, a league source told ESPN, whether it's as an adviser, coach, executive or another job that could help the team.
Kuechly also could pursue a job in television; he unquestionably will be in demand, with all the respect he holds around the league.
At the age of 28, Kuechly still doesn't know what direction his post-playing days will take. But it's possible he could be with the Panthers and a network simultaneously.
Kuechly announced his retirement Tuesday night, saying the decision is "the right thing to do."
"There's only one way to play this game since I was a little kid -- play fast, play physical and play strong,'' Kuechly said during his emotional announcement. "And at this point I don't know if I am able to do that anymore. That's the part that is the most difficult.''
Kuechly was one of only two players to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons; the other was Lawrence Taylor. He also was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls to end his career. The only defensive player with a longer streak was Mike Singletary, who ended his career by going to 10 straight Pro Bowls.