Greg Olsen, three times the Pro Bowl’s tight end, 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 in 2014-16.
The Panthers released Olsen, 35, during the 2020 off-season under new coach Matt Rhule. He signed a $ 6.6 million one-year contract with Seattle in February.
In July, Olsen signed an agreement to be Fox Sports’ second NFL television analyst, paired with Kevin Burkhardt, after he retired.
“Proud of what I was able to accomplish in this league, proud of the relationships and everything the game has given me,” said Olsen during Fox Sports’ pre-game show. “But sometimes, when it’s time, it’s my time and my time in the NFL is now over. I’m excited for the next chapter. … I removed everything from my system. “
He was greeted on Twitter by the Panthers and the Seahawks after making his announcement.
Thanks for the third clutch lowering latches, the unmatched knowledge of the manual and the endless laughs.#KeepPounding @ gregolsen88 pic.twitter.com/GxpeHPtEc1
– Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) January 24, 2021
Congratulations on retirement, @ gregolsen88!
We wish you nothing but the best. 💙 https://t.co/3vt6VF5PfU
– Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 24, 2021
Olsen played last season with Seattle in hopes of achieving the one thing he felt was missing from his 14-year career – a Super Bowl title.
This did not go as planned. He received 24 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown in 11 games of the regular season and was kept untouched by eight snaps in Seattle’s wild card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Olsen spent four weeks on the reserve due to an injury to the plantar fascia – a foot injury he suffered in Carolina – and missed the end of the Seahawks’ regular season after returning in Week 16.
After hurting his foot in Week 11, Olsen posted a picture of himself limping off the field and vowed that this was not how his NFL career would end.
Olsen posted the following message on social media after announcing his retirement:
“As a child, I never dreamed of playing in the NFL. At the time, my dreams did not go beyond the local school team that was coached by my father. My father is still the best coach I have ever had. He introduced the game to me and my brothers from an early age and dedicated every ounce of himself to help us reach our potential. My mom was the biggest fan in the stands from the start. She was the loudest and the most proud. She was our rock when we lost and our shoulder. when dad was very tough.
“These past 14 years have allowed me to make this journey with my best friend. My wife, Kara, is the best thing that ever happened to me. Since our first meeting in Miami, she has been by my side in everything. Living the last 14 years with me was not an easy task. I try to remind myself and her of this fact every day. My three children, Tate, TJ and Talbot, taught me a life greater than myself and my own desires and desires. I look forward to the next chapter together as a family. I look forward to catching up with so many moments that I missed while pursuing this life.
“To the countless teammates, coaches and team members in Chicago, Seattle and especially Carolina, I thank you. You have shaped me and made me the player and person I am today.
“I try not to look back and regret it. I am so proud of my career. But when I look back, I have two. I am sorry I never made it to the top of the mountain. I am sorry I had to leave the field under the weight of confetti, but doing our dream didn’t work.
“Watching time go by, in an empty stadium, knowing it would be my last game. Not being able to be surrounded by my loved ones. Not being able to embrace them and thank them for a life of love and sacrifice.
“Life doesn’t always go as planned, but it was a great journey. ”
Olsen finished as Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards (6,463), receptions (524) and 100 yard receiving games (10) for a tight end. His 60 touchdowns are in eighth place among all NFL tight ends.
Chosen by the Chicago Bears as the 31st choice of the 2007 general draft at the University of Miami, Olsen was negotiated with the Panthers in 2011.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.