Former NFL tight end and FOX Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen isn’t pretending the arrival of Tom Brady didn’t shake up his role at the network—but he’s not bitter about it either. Appearing on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Olsen addressed what it’s been like moving to FOX’s second broadcast team after spending two years on the network’s top crew alongside play-by-play voice Kevin Burkhardt.
“It’s not something that I’ve shied away from, and I’m happy to talk about it,” Olsen said. “I’ve always wanted to be good at whatever I do. I’m going to do everything in my power to be as good. I’m never going to be the best, I don’t have to be the best at it, but I don’t know how else to do it.”
Olsen, who joined FOX full-time after retiring from the NFL in 2021, was quickly elevated to the lead broadcast booth following the departure of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to ESPN in 2022. That promotion gave him the chance to call Super Bowl LVII, a rare opportunity for a second-year analyst. However, Olsen knew from the beginning that Brady’s presence loomed large.
“We [Burkhardt and Olsen] knew going into that, Tom already had signed a futures deal in essence to be determined whenever he was done playing. He had a deal on the table before I got elevated from the two crew with Kevin to the one crew,” Olsen said. “I knew going in I was going to call the ‘A’ crew for a year and past that was to be determined. It ended up being two years, so I got to call the Super Bowl year and one additional year, and then Tom [Brady] came.”
Brady, who signed a reported 10-year, $375 million deal with FOX Sports in 2022, officially stepped into the lead analyst role this past season. That decision pushed Olsen to the secondary team, now alongside play-by-play voice Joe Davis and sideline reporter Pam Oliver.
Despite the reshuffling, Olsen says his relationship with Brady has only improved since they became coworkers. “Tom and I’s relationship, both professionally and personally, is really good,” Olsen said.
Olsen emphasized that his personal goals in broadcasting remain unchanged, regardless of who sits in the No. 1 seat.
“My ascension individually doesn’t have to come at the expense of him,” Olsen said. “If he has a long career in this industry, so can I.”
As for what comes next, Olsen is focused on excelling in his new role while continuing to grow in the business.
“I love broadcasting. I love talking football. I love presenting the game in a fun way,” he said. “I hope to do this for the next 20 years—what that looks like, no one knows.”
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