It appears that Greg Olsen isn’t quite ready to hang up his cleats and head to the booth to be an analyst. Last month Olsen interviewed for the Monday Night Football analyst job left vacant by Jon Gruden, who is now the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. But on Thursday it was reported that Olsen and the Carolina Panthers have agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $8.55 million per year, but with incentives could be worth up to $10.05 million per year. Olsen was set to make $6.75 million in 2018.
Greg Olsen Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Carolina Panthers
The $8.55 million annual figure would put Olsen as one of the top five highest paid tight ends in the league. The $10.05 million per year would make him the highest paid at the position, edging out Jimmy Graham who is now with the Green Bay Packers.
Olsen had three straight seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards from 2014-16 and he is the only tight end in NFL history to accomplish that feat. During that time he had 241 catches for 3,185 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. But the talented tight end had a disappointed 2017 season, largely due to an injury.
Olsen has not been injury prone during his career. But he did miss nine games in 2017 due to a broken foot he sustained in Week two. Prior to that he hadn’t missed a start since 2011 (while with Carolina) and he hadn’t missed a game since he was with the Chicago Bears in 2007. But the injury and those missed games last season caused Olsen to post only 17 receptions for 191 yards and one touchdown in seven games last season. However, Olsen did show, once again, what he is capable of when he had eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers Wild Card loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Ed Dickson’s departure this off-season leaves Olsen as the only tight end on the Panthers roster with any real experience.
The talented tight end was drafted by the Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft and he spent his four NFL seasons with Chicago. The 2018 season will be Olsen’s eighth with Carolina and he has been one of Cam Newton’s favorite targets while in Carolina.
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