Three-time Pro Bowl tight ending Greg Olsen announced before Sunday’s NFC Championship Game that he plans to retire and join Fox Sports’ NFL coverage.
Olsen spent the 2021 season with the Seattle Seahawks after spending the previous nine with the Carolina Panthers, where he became the first tight end in NFL history with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2014-16.
The Panthers released Olsen, 35, during the off-season 2020 under new coach Matt Rhule. He signed a $ 6.6 million one-year contract with Seattle in February.
In July, Olsen signed a deal to become Fox Sports’ No. 2 NFL television analyst, along with Kevin Burkhardt, after he retired.
“Proud of what I have been able to achieve in this competition, proud of the relationships and everything the game has given me,” said Olsen on Fox Sports’ pre-game show. “But sometimes when it’s time, it’s time and my time. In the NFL has now come to an end. I’m excited for the next chapter. … I’ve got it all out of my system.”
He was greeted on Twitter by both the Panthers and Seahawks after making his announcement.
Thanks for the third catches of the link, the unparalleled knowledge of the playbook and the endless laughs.#KeepBons @ gregolsen88 pic.twitter.com/GxpeHPtEc1
– Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) January 24, 2021
Congratulations on your retirement, @ gregolsen88!
We wish you nothing but the best. 💙 https://t.co/3vt6VF5PfU
– Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 24, 2021
Olsen played with Seattle last season in hopes of achieving the one thing he thought was missing in his 14-year career: a Super Bowl title.
That didn’t go as planned. He caught 24 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in 11 regular season games and was held without a catch on eight snaps in Seattle’s wildcard loss against the Los Angeles Rams.
Olsen spent four weeks in the injured reserve with a torn plantar fascia – a foot injury he sustained in Carolina – and then missed the Seahawks’ regular season finale after returning in week 16.
After injuring his foot in Week 11, Olsen posted a photo of himself limping off the field and vowing that this wouldn’t be the way his NFL career ended.
Olsen placed the next post on social media after the announcement of his retirement:
“As a young child, I never dreamed of playing in the NFL. At the time, my dreams didn’t go beyond the local high school team that was coached by my dad. My dad is still the best coach I’ve ever had. He introduced my brothers and me to the game at an early age and put all his efforts to help us reach our potential. My mother was the biggest fan in the stands from the start. She was the loudest and the proudest. She was our rock when we lost and our shoulder when daddy was too tough.
“Over the past 14 years, I have been able to take this trip with my best friend. My wife, Kara, is the best thing that ever happened to me. She has always been with me since our first date in Miami. For the past 14 years with me. living was not an easy task. I try to remind myself and her of that every day. My three children, Tate, TJ and Talbot, taught me a life that is bigger than myself and my own desires and I look forward to the next chapter together as a family I look forward to catching up on so many moments that I missed while pursuing this life.
“To the countless teammates, coaches and staff in Chicago, Seattle, and especially Carolina, I want to thank you. You have shaped and shaped me into the player and person I am today.
“I’m trying not to look back and I’m sorry. I have so much that I’m proud of about my career. But looking back on my career, I have two. I regret never getting to the top of the mountain. reached the field under the weight of confetti, but realizing our dream came up short.
“Watching time tick, in an empty stadium, knowing this would be my last game. Not having the opportunity to be surrounded by my loved ones. Not being able to hug and thank them for a life of love and sacrifice.
“Life doesn’t always go as planned, but it has been a great ride.”
Olsen finished as Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards (6,463), receptions (524) and 100-yard receiving games (10) with tight ends. His 60 touchdown catches rank eighth among all of the NFL’s tight ends.
Olsen was drafted by the Chicago Bears with 31st overall selection in 2007 from the University of Miami and traded to the Panthers in 2011.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.