Sunday afternoon, one of the NFL‘s most popular tight ends called it quits. Greg Olsen announced his retirement from professional football, ending his career after 14 years. He walks away with 8,683 receiving yards, 60 touchdowns, and three trips to the Pro Bowl.
“After 14 years of playing in this league — I’m proud of what I was able to accomplish, proud of the relationships, everything the game has given me,” Olsen said during the NFL on FOX pregame show. “But sometimes when it’s time, it’s time. My time in the NFL has come to an end.” Olsen then revealed that he will be joining the FOX family and heading to the broadcast booth.
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Welcome to the @FOXSports family!@gregolsen88 announces his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons as he gets set to start his career in the booth at FOX! pic.twitter.com/ccQaBy6r1S
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 24, 2021
A first-round pick in 2007, Olsen landed with the Chicago Bears after a college career in Miami, Florida. He made an impact in the Windy City but never quite reached the potential that the Bears envisioned. Although many fans expressed the opinion that the lack of production boiled down to the offensive scheme of the coaching staff.
The Bears traded Olsen to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in 2011. He immediately became a superstar while pairing with rookie sensation Cam Newton. During his tenure with the Panthers, Olsen went to three consecutive Pro Bowls, earned two second-team All-Pro selections and became the first tight end to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (2014-2016).
Olsen also posted a career-best 77 catches for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015, the same season that the Panthers reached Super Bowl 50. His tenure with Carolina ended after the 2019 season, but Olsen walked away as the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards and receptions for tight ends.
Despite having the option to join a broadcast booth, Olsen returned to the NFL for one final season. He joined the Seattle Seahawks in hopes of finally winning a Super Bowl. The season did not pan out as expected due to Olsen suffering a ruptured plantar fascia. Though he did return for the playoffs and the loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Olsen previously revealed that he would be joining FOX at the end of his career. He told ESPN in July that he had signed a future deal to become an analyst for FOX. He didn’t reveal when this move would take place, but Olsen confirmed that it would happen at some point.
