Greg Olsen announces retirement after 14-year TE career, will join Fox as analyst
Greg Olsen, who spent the majority of his career with the Carolina Panthers, announced his retirement on the Fox pregame show ahead of Sunday’s NFC championship game.
Olsen, 35, will join Fox as a color analyst. He has worked for the broadcaster calling NFL and XFL games in the past, but returned to the NFL for a final season with the Seattle Seahawks.
Welcome to the @FOXSports family, @GregOlsen88 🤝 pic.twitter.com/C4LkfRw5z2
— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) January 24, 2021
“Sometimes when it’s time, it’s time. My time in the NFL now has come to an end,” Olsen said in a bit of “breaking news” segment on the show.
The tight end played the final game of his 14-year career in November, suffering a fascia tear in his left foot during a 28-21 victory against the Arizona Cardinals.
Olsen ranks fifth in NFL history in receiving yards (8,683) and receptions among tight ends (742) in the Super Bowl era. He ranks eighth among tight ends with 60 career touchdowns.
Olsen all-time Panthers records
Olsen was drafted by the Chicago Bears as the 31st overall pick in 2007. The Bears traded him to the Panthers ahead of the 2011 season.
It was with Carolina where he built a stellar career. In nine seasons there, he was named to three Pro Bowls and earned two AP All-Pro second-team nods.
He left the Panthers as their all-time leader in receiving yards (6,463), receptions (524) and 100-yard receiving games (10) by a tight end. His 39 touchdowns rank second behind Wesley Wall’s 44.
Olsen had his most productive years from 2012-16. He became the first tight end in NFL history with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2014-16. The Panthers went to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season and lost to the Denver Broncos.
Olsen opted for 14th season over booth
The Panthers released Olsen in February 2020 and he seemed destined for a retirement in the Fox broadcast booth. Instead, he signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Seahawks a month later to play with quarterback Russell Wilson and head coach Pete Carroll.
Injuries were an issue for the veteran over the last years of his career and his final one was no different. He hurt his foot on a non-contact play and didn’t return after the Seahawks were bounced from the playoffs in the wild-card round.
Olsen played in 11 games for Seattle and had 24 catches for 239 yards and a touchdown.
Fox reportedly signed Olsen last offseason to work in the broadcast booth. He will start in the fall.
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