Tom Brady decided to hang up his cleats last year after a 23-year stint in the NFL. While GOAT is currently enjoying life and spending time with his children, fans will soon see him in action again. But this time, Brady will be wearing suits and boots instead of a jersey and cleats to start the next chapter of his life as an NFL color analyst for FOX.
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Brady became the highest-paid television analyst back in 2022 after signing a 10-year $375 million deal with the media giant. The surrounding buzz has never been any louder, and the ex-Patriots man is poised to bring in a lot of views for FOX. But it looks like someone will have to pay the price by making room for the seven-time SB winner. And as of now, Greg Olsen looks like the ideal choice among many.
However, there’s a dilemma. Olson’s color commentary has been getting a lot of praise from fans. He is currently enjoying success as a lead analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt, reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi, and rules analyst Mike Pereira. Having started his broadcasting journey back in 2021 alongside Burkhardt and reporter Pam Oliver, the former Panthers Tight End is already raking in the views for his employers.
The three-time Pro Bowler also served as an NFL studio analyst for the network coverage of Super Bowl 54. Despite being one of the best and most adored faces out there, he remains the likely candidate to be replaced by Brady. But it looks like he isn’t worried about the potential rumors and won’t go down without a fight.
Olsen feels change is inevitable in a competitive environment, and if you are afraid to compete and give your all, you won’t succeed. Drawing from his experience, he says this world is no different from the NFL, and the higher-ups always bring in young guys to replace you. It’s up to you to make it hard for them to do so by making yourself irreplaceable. He plans to embrace the changes because they’re out of his hands. He said,
“If you are afraid to compete and you are afraid for people to come for your job, then you are not going to do well in any competitive environment,” followed by, “Every year, they are trying to replace you. Every year, they are trying to bring in the new hotshot, young player to take your job.” as per USA Today.
Well, fans are also not willing to lose Greg from their TV screens, as they feel that the “Underrated” man has earned his role.
Fans Rally Behind the Underrated Olsen Set to Be Replaced by Tom Brady
Tom Brady will soon be stepping in for the fan-favorite Fox analyst, Greg Olsen. At least, that’s what the pundits are speculating. While understanding the reality of the competitive world; fans, however, feel Olsen has done a great job. Reacting to Devin Jackson‘s X post, one of the fans said, “Super underrated too.”
Super underrated too
— Corey Rholdon (@Corey_RholdonTV) January 21, 2024
Another fan said,
He very clearly puts the work in and it shows.
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) January 21, 2024
This fan stated that Olsen and Aikman are underrated and people love them because they keep it simple and unbiased.
I think it’s between him and Troy Aikman certainly. The underrated thing about those two teams is that they don’t make you feel awful when the other team’s QB is going off. Collinsworth and Romo will endlessly glaze and make you plug your ears.
— frame (@framesh1ft) January 21, 2024
Someone stated that Olsen is one of the best out there.
There is no better right now! @gregolsen88 is simply the best! Pretty much at everything he’s done in life!
— Chris Dowling (@CdowlingNJ) January 21, 2024
Another fan wrote that considering the good job Olsen has done, Brady would have to be at his best if he replaced him.
Gonna be a lot of Pressure on Tom Brady, Brady needs to be like Tampa Brady and not Robotic Pats Brady.
— Scruff Dogg (@dogg_scruff) January 21, 2024
Reporter Jordan Rodrigue also chimed in, showering love and praise on Olson.
One thing I appreciate – the majority watching broadcast are not also “in” as analysts/pundits. He does a nice job letting people in who are usually held at arms length – sometimes by those same experts’ rhetoric. If it’s a bad throw, casual observer sees that. What else mattered?
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 21, 2024
However, not everybody feels the same about the Olsen. Many feel he is overexcited and overanalyzes reports. He also brings in stories from his past that no one wants to hear during a game.
A fan expressed,
I honestly can’t stand Greg Olsen. I’d rather listen to Chris Collinsworth and that’s saying a lot.
— Bolt Sage ⚡️ (@Bolt_Sage_LA) January 21, 2024
Another one wrote,
I disagree. I don’t need 2 minutes of analysis after every play.
— PNM106 (@PNM106) January 21, 2024
This user tweeted,
Except that’s he’s horrible….gets on his own stories and doesn’t care what’s actually happening in the game….
— Won not Done! (@yendor277) January 21, 2024
The announcer’s table itself has become such an integral part of football, and salaries have also multiplied. Bryan Curtis of the Ringer calls it the “Announcers Empowerment Era”. The bigger the player, the better the contract. They also have the mobility to switch networks while utilizing their freedom of speech.
Tony Romo was making $3 million a year as an announcer when CBS offered him $17 million a year to stay with the network. The deal made him the highest-paid announcer in sports history until ESPN offered Troy Aikman $18 million to leave Fox. The biggest reason behind an increased negotiation power and the network’s willingness to part with such dough is the primacy of football on TV.
In 2021, 75 of the most viewed programs on TV were pro football games. And this number continues to rise every year, as per Ringer.com. The bigger and fresher the name, the better the contract. So that’s why Fox is eager and more than willing to replace $10 million a year man Olsen with $37 million a year Tom Brady.
