SAN FRANCISCO — There are people who might be disappointed that Luke Kuechly did not get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame a year ago.

There are actually many.

None of them, however, is Luke Kuechly.

The former Panthers linebacker was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 in his second year of eligibility on Thursday night, the pinnacle of a football career that burned brightly the entirety of his eight seasons.

And waiting has not dimmed the pride of that achievement for Kuechly at all.

"I was hoping it would be a year ago, but it's going to be great when all this stuff comes together," Kuechly said. "No matter what happens, it always happens when it's supposed to happen."

Kuechly's being gracious, as is his custom.

Others had stronger feelings in 2025, when in his first year of eligibility, he did not become the 91st first-ballot Hall of Famer, following immediately in the footsteps of former teammate Julius Peppers.

"To not be a first ballot Hall of Famer, and I certainly respect the process, but that is a crime," former Bills head coach and Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said last year. "That's a shame because here's a guy that never brags, he never is out to put himself in the spotlight. He's always been about the team, and that's probably hurt him a little bit, you know, not having a quote-unquote brand. But those that know football, those that were playing against them or playing with them alongside of them know. . . .

"I mean, to be honest with you, they need to put a statue of him up. That's how strongly I feel about the person and the player. It's a once-in-a-lifetime combination. He is an amazing human being, and in the context of the Hall of Fame, I'm a little bit ashamed on his behalf that it didn't go his way last year. This guy's done everything the right way, every step along the way, and to see him have to wait, it's a little frustrating."

Of course, it's the Hall of Fame, a place one percent of the players ever end up; it's supposed to be exclusive.

And over the years, some of the best and brightest players in the game were honored in their second year as a finalist rather than their first.

Since the Hall began identifying groups of 15 finalists in 1970 (the Hall inducted its first class in 1963), only 90 players have been picked in their first year as a finalist, and just 55 in the second year as a finalist, meaning, he immediately joined the top third of the most exclusive club in the sport.

That group of second-year inductees includes old-school legends like Y.A. Tittle, Andy Robustelli, and Norm Van Brocklin, and, over the years, players such as Mike Ditka, Art Shell, Ted Hendricks, John Riggins, and Larry Csonka.

That list includes Bill George, who effectively pioneered the middle linebacker position in the 1950s and 1960s.

All George did was practically create the 4-3 defense, transitioning from a down lineman to a two-point stance and changing the game in the process — much as Kuechly did during his era.

That list also includes modern pass-rushers like Howie Long, Michael Strahan, Dwight Freeney, and DeMarcus Ware, and offensive stars such as Antonio Gates, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, and Orlando Pace.

It includes legendary coaches Bill Walsh and John Madden, who changed the way the game was played and consumed over generations.

And it includes some of the most respected figures in the history of the game.

Former Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page might have been the greatest player ever at his position.

He was the first and one of just two defensive players to win league MVP honors, along with Lawrence Taylor. He played in an era before sacks became an official stat (1982), but retroactive research put him at 148.5, which would be eighth on the all-time list.

Oh, by the way, Page was also a former justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, and won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, with a legacy that transcends all the incredible things he did on the field.

So shed no tears for Luke Kuechly sharing an honor with Alan Page; he certainly isn't.

And while his former teammate Peppers would have preferred Kuechly to have entered the Hall last year as well, Peppers also walks with the wisdom that now that Kuechly is now a Hall of Famer, so the amount of time spent waiting fades like a distant memory. That's why sharing the news of his induction with Kuechly was special to Peppers (more on that to come, at Panthers.com).

"It couldn't happen to a better person; he's the most deserving person that I know," Peppers said of Kuechly. "Like, we all think that it should have happened last year. But it didn't, and he even said, it happens when it's supposed to, right? So it didn't, it happened now. So we're just going to worry about the now, we're not going to worry about the past when he didn't get it.

"I mean, he's in the club now, so we're going to celebrate him how he's supposed to be celebrated."

INDUCTED TO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME IN SECOND YEAR AS FINALISTS

1970s (9)
Bill Hewitt, Frank "Bruiser" Kinnard, Andy Robustelli, Norm Van Brocklin, Y.A. Tittle, Bill George, Lou Groza, Lenny Moore, George Connor.

1980s (7)
Sid Gillman, Charley Taylor, Frank Gatski, Larry Csonka, Mike Ditka, Alan Page, Art Shell.

1990s (9)
Ted Hendricks, Lem Barney, John Riggins, Bill Walsh, Jackie Smith, Lou Creekmur, Mike Webster, Wellington Mara, Tommy McDonald.

2000s (11)
Howie Long, Mike Munchak, Dan Hampton, John Madden, Rayfield Wright, Thurman Thomas, Roger Wehrli, Fred Dean, Andre Tippett, Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel.

2010s (7)
John Randle, Chris Doleman, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Michael Strahan, Orlando Pace, Brian Dawkins.

2020s (12)
Cliff Harris, Jimmy Johnson, Donnie Shell, Drew Pearson, Cliff Branch, Art McNally, Dick Vermeil, Bryant Young, DeMarcus Ware, Dwight Freeney, Eric Allen, Antonio Gates.