NFL analyst Greg Olsen offered a candid look at his working relationship with FOX Sports and fellow analyst Tom Brady during a recent appearance on the No Free Lunch with Ndamukong Suh podcast. Olsen emphasized the mutual respect, professional competition, and trust that define his role in the network’s broadcast lineup.
Reflecting on his journey with FOX, Olsen said the network “believed in me from the jump.” He recalled opportunities to call games during his playing career, noting, “They were the ones letting me call games in 2017 on my bye week, I called another game, 2019 on my bye week.”
He added that FOX quickly provided him a platform to succeed, including a contract to join the network’s No. 2 broadcast team immediately following his retirement. “Which is an incredible platform, calling one of the best games of the weekend slate. So they were one of the first believers in me from the jump,” Olsen said.
Olsen also described a strong professional rapport with Tom Brady, highlighting the balance between competition and collaboration.
“I’m a competitive person by nature. If I’m going to do it, I want to be the best at it,” he said. “My relationship with Tom, my relationship with FOX, has never been better. It’s healthy. It’s a healthy competition. Tom and I talked during the season. We compare notes, we compare thoughts on the league, we compare thoughts on the broadcast. So, like, we have a very healthy professional and personal relationship.”
He noted that the competitive element is familiar to both of them from their athletic careers.
“Some of our best friends, whether it was in college or pros, were the guys that we were fighting for playing time with. That’s just the world I think we’re all very accustomed to,” Olsen said.
Addressing outside perceptions, Olsen acknowledged that their interactions might appear somewhat combative, but he emphasized the positivity behind the scenes.
“It feels a lot more combative from the outside looking in than it really is. FOX, Tom, myself, our crews, our relationships, while being very driven and we all want to be the best crew, is a very healthy and positive relationship,” he explained.
Olsen said he was aware of Brady signing a future deal with FOX Sports in 2021, and understood the move to the second team once Brady joined the network in 2024.
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