Carolina Panthers: Two major media networks want Greg Olsen

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is being coveted in the television ranks.

Here we go again? That was my initial reaction upon learning that two major media networks are pursuing Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Fox and ESPN have made offers to him according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

Per Marchand’s report, Fox wants to give Olsen the opportunity. They would put him on the No. 2 or No. 3 team in order to make the offer enticing enough to lure him from the field.

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ESPN is not as certain about what they want from him. The network needs a football analyst to handle both the pro and college ranks. Olsen could certainly fill that role. For what it’s worth, he still has one year remaining on a two-year extension that he signed last April.

It feels like déjà vu all over again. I remember writing the same article about his potentially leaving the organization in favor of a broadcasting gig. I wrote that he was at a crossroads in terms of his career, and here I sit again writing about the same thing.

At this stage in his career after what happened last season, Olsen would be smart to hang up the cleats and possibly pursue television. If he was still in the midst of a long contract, I would suggest that he keep playing. However, he only has one year left on what will probably be his last contract in the National Football League.

I’d be very interested to hear what Olsen would have to say in a broadcasting role. He certainly has been a part of some big- time football teams. As some of you may recall, he was a member of the Miami Hurricanes from 2004-2006 and continued his success with both the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. He is a player who, up until recently, has started basically every game he’s played in. He knows what it takes to win games and knows the ins and outs of being on a football field.

Do I want him back on the field for the Carolina Panthers? Yes, of course I do. I would love to see him be able to play one final season. The way he went out last season was unfortunate. Could I see him bolting for the broadcast booth? If a multi-million-dollar contract is on the line, I certainly could. His body cannot handle the rigors of football much anymore and that is not a knock on him. He was an Ironman during the course of his career and sitting in a broadcast booth is much more easy on the body then being on the field.

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It’s an interesting time for Greg Olsen. Either decision is not a bad one, but it is certainly a process he will have to think out. Right now, two major networks are battling for Greg Olsen’s services. I am highly anticipating the outcome, whatever it may be.

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