Carolina Panthers: Greg Olsen ‘unofficially’ says goodbye
Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen may be calling it a career.
There has not been any official announcement but Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen made sure if Sunday was his final game, that he went out under his own terms. The veteran had many friends and family on hand, in addition to the team spotlighting his career late in the fourth quarter on the Bank of America Stadium video board.
Players lined up to shake his hand, offer their appreciation and Olsen shared a special moment with Pete Hoener, who has served as his position coach since the legendary tight end arrived via trade prior to the 2011 season.
Following, Olsen made no commitment to his immediate future but did say, “sometimes the writing’s on the wall.” Carolina can save $8.1 million in salary cap funds by trading or releasing Olsen, given he has one-year remaining on his current contract but retirement is also an option.
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Over the past few offseason stints and bye weeks, Olsen has primed for a career in the broadcast booth and is expected to be heavily courted should he determine his playing days are a thing of the past. However, Olsen also leaves the door open for a return in 2020 with another franchise by making no official announcement.
Prior to the game, Olsen shared some comments in support of quarterback Cam Newton returning without providing any solid evidence on how that may impact his own decisions. While a Newton return would undoubtedly provide some stability for Olsen, it appears he’s going to wait until these questions are answered before ultimately determining what is next.
Currently, the Panthers are without any commitment to a quarterback, in search of a new coach and have a number of veteran players who are set to become unrestricted free agents next year.
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If a complete rebuild is issued by David Tepper, then it appears Olsen’s time in Carolina has come to a close.