Pro Bowl three-time finalist Greg Olsen announced ahead of 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 to have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons of the 2014 season. 16.
The Panthers released 35-year-old Olsen during the low season of 2020 with new coach Matt Rhule. In February he signed a $ 6.6 million one-year deal with Seattle.
In July, Olsen signed a deal to be Fox Sports’ No. 2 NFL analyst, paired with Kevin Burkhardt, after retiring.
“Proud of what I was able to achieve in this league, proud of the relationships and everything the game has given me,” Olsen said during the pre-show on Fox Sports. “But sometimes, when the time comes, it’s time and my time in the NFL is now over. I’m excited about the next chapter. … I have it all out of my system.”
Both the Panthers and Seahawks were greeted on Twitter after making their announcement.
Thank you for the third descent catches, the unmatched knowledge of the game book and the endless laughs.#KeepPounding @ gregolsen88 pic.twitter.com/GxpeHPtEc1
– Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) January 24, 2021
Congratulations on your retirement, @ gregolsen88!
We wish you nothing more than the best. 💙 https://t.co/3vt6VF5PfU
– Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 24, 2021
Olsen played last season with Seattle in hopes of getting the only thing he felt was missing in his 14-year career: a Super Bowl title.
This was not as planned. He grabbed 24 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in 11 regular-season games and remained without a catch in eight snapshots in Seattle’s wildcard defeat at the Los Angeles Rams.
Olsen spent four weeks on the injured reserve with a torn plantar fascia (a foot injury he had suffered in Carolina) and then missed the end of the Seahawks ’regular season after returning in Week 16.
After injuring his foot in Week 11, Olsen posted a picture of himself limping off the field of play and vowed it wouldn’t be the way he would end his NFL career.
Olsen published the next message on social media after announcing his retirement:
“As a kid, 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 that I’ve never introduced my siblings and me to the game at an early age and devoted every ounce of himself to helping us reach our potential.My mom was the biggest fan in the stands since from the beginning.She was the strongest and proudest.it was our rock when we lost and her shoulder when dad was too hard.
“The last 14 years have allowed me to make this journey with my best friend. My wife, Kara, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Since our first date in Miami, she has been by my side. Living the last 14 years with me has not been an easy task.I try to remember it every day to myself and her.My 3 children, Tate, TJ and Talbot, have taught me a life bigger than me and my own wishes and wishes.I look forward to the next chapter together as a family.I hope to regain the moments I missed while pursuing this life.
“I thank you to the countless teammates, coaches and staff members in Chicago, Seattle and especially Carolina. You have shaped me and trained me as the player and the person I am today.
“I try not to look back and I regret it. I have so many things I’m proud of for my career. But when I look back in my career, I have two. I’m sorry I never got to the top of the mountain. I’m sorry I left the field. under the weight of confetti, but the realization of our dream fell short.
“Seeing time go down, in an empty stadium, knowing it would be my last match. Not having the ability to be surrounded by my loved ones. Not being able to embrace them and thank them for the life of love and sacrifice.
“Life didn’t always go as planned, but it was a great trip.”
Olsen finished as Carolina’s all-time leader in backyard receptions (6,463), receptions (524) and 100-yard reception games (10) for a tight end. His 60 touchdown catches rank eighth among all the tight ends of the NFL.
Written by the Chicago Bears with the 31st overall draft pick in 2007 at the University of Miami, Olsen was traded to the Panthers in 2011.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.