Greg Olsen
TE #88 — Carolina Panthers
More Carolina Panthers Players
About Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen spent seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers and became the best tight end in franchise history by a wide margin. He put up three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2014 to 2016, a feat only Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, and Travis Kelce have matched at the position. He was Cam Newton's safety blanket, the guy who ran the seam route on third-and-eight and caught it in traffic with a linebacker draped on his back. He made three Pro Bowls in Carolina and was the second-leading receiver on the 2015 Super Bowl team behind Ted Ginn, which says a lot about both Olsen's consistency and the Panthers' receiver situation.
After retiring, Olsen transitioned into broadcasting so smoothly that Fox handed him their number-one booth before he'd finished two full seasons in the chair. He called Super Bowls. He broke down plays with the specificity of someone who had actually run them. He eventually stepped back from the top spot, but the fact that he got there at all confirmed what Panthers fans already knew: Olsen was the most polished communicator in that locker room for seven years. His charity work with the HEARTest Yard Foundation, which supports families with children who have congenital heart conditions, was inspired by his son T.J.'s heart defect. That foundation raised millions during his time in Charlotte and continues to operate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Greg Olsen's role in the Panthers offense?
He was the possession tight end who Cam Newton trusted more than anyone else on the field. On third down, the Panthers' playbook essentially had two options: throw to Greg Olsen over the middle, or throw to Greg Olsen up the seam. He ran precise routes, caught everything near his body, and picked up the tough yards between the safeties where most tight ends hear footsteps and alligator-arm it. Three straight 1,000-yard seasons during the best stretch in franchise history is not a coincidence.
What makes Greg Olsen different from other Panthers players for content?
The broadcaster polish. Olsen sounds like he was born in a television studio. He can explain a Cover 2 beater with the casual clarity of someone explaining the weather forecast. His Panthers-era interviews were always quotable because he said smart things without sounding like he was trying to sound smart. That broadcast-booth voice combined with a subtle bias toward Carolina makes him a unique content voice. He's the Panther who will tell you the team is struggling while somehow making it sound like a compliment.
Last updated: April 2026