Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty
Former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen called it a career after 14 seasons in the NFL on Sunday.
The three-time pro bowler told the world he would step away from playing and enter the broadcast booth as an analyst for FOX Sports’ NFL coverage starting next season.
Olsen, 35, spent last year with the Seattle Seahawks after nine years with the Panthers. He was a first round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2007 NFL Draft, spending four seasons in the windy city before coming to Charlotte. Olsen was the first tight end in NFL history to have three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons from 2014 to 2016.
As a community favorite in Charlotte, Olsen earned high praise for his contributions on and off the field. He was released by the Panthers during the 2020 offseason under new coach Matt Rhule and signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with Seattle in February. The tight end finishes his career with 742 receptions for 8,683 yards and 60 touchdowns, which is eighth all-time among NFL tight ends.
“Proud of what I was able to accomplish in this league, proud of the relationships and everything that the game has given me,” Olsen said during Fox Sports’ NFC Championship pregame show. “But sometimes, when it’s time, it’s time, and my time in the NFL now has come to an end. I’m excited for the next chapter”
Olsen finished as the Panthers’ all-time leader in receiving yards (6,463), receptions (524) and 100-yard receiving games (10) by a tight end.
