Greg Olsen appears to be at peace with the presence of Tom Brady on the NFL on Fox crew.
Though Olsen rose to the top booth, called Super Bowl LVII, and won two Sports Emmys, he knew all along his time at the top would be short-lived. By the time Olsen got the top job, Brady had already signed on to eventually join the network as its top game analyst.
While Brady’s first season was uneven and Olsen continued to earn high marks (and another Emmy nom), the former star tight end remains close with Brady. And he understands that Brady is not truly what stands between him and his hopes in the industry.
“I have zero animosity toward Tom. I don’t sit there saying ‘I hope their broadcast stinks’ at all,” Olsen said this week on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast.
“That is independent from my personal aspirations of, I want to take this to the highest level I can. I want to call Super Bowls. I want to get to a top crew. I want to continue to elevate and see how high in the industry that I can get. Those things can both simultaneously exist. My ascension individually does not have to come at the expense of him. It does not have to come in the animosity toward him. If he has a long career in this industry, so can I. Those two things are not [mutually exclusive].”
It was not always so peachy.
As recently as the end of last season, Olsen gave multiple interviews to smaller outlets in which he appeared to shade Brady. During Week 17, Olsen live-tweeted the game Brady was calling and notably offered near-opposite analysis to the legendary quarterback. He also told The Athletic that the word “resentment” was “not too far off” in describing his feelings toward Brady. Later in an article at the Charlotte Observer, Olsen reportedly said that he has made it “clear” to Fox management that he is “not happy” with his spot in the pecking order. Olsen even said, contrary to his comments to Bussin’ this week, that he does listen to Brady’s games to study and practice what he might say differently.
The whole episode forced Olsen to clarify that he does not harbor any ill will toward Tom Brady.
Olsen took a similar tact in his appearance on Bussin’, choosing peace.
Olsen added that he and Brady have developed a friendship over their professional connection as well as their family lives. They both have teenage kids, and Brady even recorded a message for Olsen’s son’s football team recently before a big game.
Still, Greg Olsen knows his ultimate goal is to get back to a top NFL broadcast booth and call the biggest games.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.