Former NFL Star Greg Olsen Reveals What Could Prevent Him From Reaching Hall of Fame (Exclusive)

Greg Olsen was one of the top tight ends in the NFL when he was with the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2019. But has he done enough to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame? In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com, Olsen talked about what could prevent him from being enshrined in Canton, Ohio. 

"I think every player thinks about it. I'd be lying to you if I said players don't think about that," Olsen exclusively told PopCulture about being in the Hall of Fame. "That's the ultimate reward for a lifetime of work in football is to get that gold jacket. Where I stack up, it's hard. So much of that, especially at my position, is more than just numbers and it's a lot more than just production. In regards to production and yards, I mean there's not many guys in there that have caught more passes than me or more yards than me, but there's a lot more to it."

Olsen continued: "If I could've won a Super Bowl or two, that would've helped. If I could have stayed healthy my last couple years ... I was on pretty historic pace to climb the charts even higher, and my last couple years, I wasn't real productive, missed some time with injuries and surgeries and whatnot. So there's a lot of things that go against you, but when you take in the entire body of work, that's for other people to decide. And I feel very confident about how my career played out and what I was able to accomplish, and how other people decide to judge it in the future is up to them."

Olsen began his career in 2007 as a member of the Chicago Bears and had a solid rookie season, catching 39 passes for 391 yards and two touchdowns. But when Olsen signed with the Panthers in 2011, his career took off as he had three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2014-2016). He was named to the Pro Bowl three times and the All-Pro Second Team twice. 

When it comes to all-time tight ends, Olsen ranks fifth in receptions (742), seventh in receiving yards (8,683) and eighth in receiving touchdowns (60). Pro Football Reference measured Olsen's chances of reaching the Hall of Fame with a metric and Olsen has a Hall of Fame Metric of 43.95, meaning his chances of reaching Canton are not the best.