It’s not often that the world of sports broadcasting manages to steal the headlines from those who are actually competing, but when Fox Sports announced that it would be signing the seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, to a 10-year $375-million contract, fans and analysts couldn’t help but to discuss both the magnitude of the deal and the implications that it carried for the network’s then-leading broadcaster, Greg Olsen.
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The former Carolina Panther had been officially replaced. Olsen would later describe the ordeal as being an “ego hit.” Nowadays, however, Olsen simply views it as a competition between himself and the network.
“I knew going in that Tom had signed that deal and that he was their future top broadcaster,” Olsen noted while appearing on Ndamukong Suh’s new podcast. “We just didn’t know when it was going to happen.”
The network provided zero reassurance or promises of job security, but the former tight end was determined to make the most of the opportunity that was in front of him. “I’m just going to go all in,” Olsen said. “Let me just see how good I could get and let me see how much fun we can have.”
Thankfully, fans were won over by his brand of analysis and commentary skills, so even though he’s no longer the premiere color commentator for Fox Sports, Olsen still has a home in the booth. It’s just unfortunate that he has yet to return to calling the big games on any given slate.
It’s never fun being replaced, but when someone like Brady proves to be your replacement, at least the situation becomes a bit more understandable. And for what it’s worth, Olsen did suggest that he’s adopted a much healthier perspective and sense of understanding.
“My relationship with Tom, my relationship with Fox, has never been better,” he exclaimed. “It’s healthy. It’s healthy competition. Tom and I talk during the season, we compare notes, we compare thoughts on the league, we compare thoughts on the broadcast. We have a very healthy professional and personal relationship.”
When Brady was initially brought on board, Olsen was dealt a significant pay cut. According to the New York Post, his $10-million salary was cut down to just $3-million, but even when that report initially broke, Olsen remained loyal to his network, insisting that “Fox has been very good to me.”
It may not be his ideal situation, but it’s still a dream job, and for Olsen, that seems to be enough. The 40 year old will be back on the call once again in Week 13 when the Seattle Seahawks take on the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday afternoon.
