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Before Travis Kelce, another tight end made his name known around the league for his monumental catches and big personality. Greg Olsen left an indelible mark on the league during his 14-year career, which was split between the Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks.
Olsen, who was drafted by the Bears out of the University of Miami, was a first-round pick (No. 31 overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft. But while his college career showed promise, he didn't take off right away with Chicago. Across those first four seasons with the Bears, Olsen averaged just 495 yards per year and 10.2 yards per reception.
However, after being traded to the Panthers in 2011, Olsen quickly found his true form. In his first three seasons with the Panthers, he averaged 733 yards per season and 11.8 yards per reception before becoming the first TE in NFL history to have three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards.
Three Pro Bowl nods, two second-team All-Pro selections and one Super Bowl appearance later, Olsen finished his playing career with 8,683 receiving yards, good for seventh-most by a tight end in NFL history. Additionally, 39 of his 60 career touchdowns were with the Panthers, including 35 TD passes coming from Cam Newton who was named the MVP following an impressive 2015 campaign.
After suffering a myriad of injuries in 2017 and 2018, Olsen later announced his retirement at the end of the 2020 season. Now, Olsen serves as a play-by-play analyst for NFL on FOX where he earned a Sports Emmy for top Event Analyst earlier this year. Before he delves into his fourth full season on the air for FOX, NFL+ revisits some of Olsen's best games on the field across his illustrious 14-season career.
1) Making a statement
- GAME: NFC Divisional Round vs. Seahawks, Jan. 16, 2011
- Re-watch on NFL+
Upon entering the league in 2007, it didn't take long for Olsen to make his name known. In his first-ever postseason appearance, the 25-year-old tight end posted his first career game with 100+ receiving yards, finishing with three receptions for 113 yards and a TD in a 35-24 Bears win over the Seahawks. His lone score took place early in the first quarter on a 58-yard pass from Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to provide Chicago with an early 7-0 lead. Olsen's early TD was the spark to a dominant 28-0 lead that left the Seahawks without an answer until the last two minutes of the third quarter. Olsen's 37.7 yards/reception in that game are the most by a TE in a playoff game in NFL history (minimum three receptions). This game also marked Olsen's first of 14 career games with more than 100 yards receiving.
2) Olsen makes NFL history
- GAME: 2016 NFL regular season Week 16 vs. Falcons, Dec. 24, 2016
- Re-watch on NFL+
Olsen etched his name in the history books toward the end of the 2016 season following a career-year in 2015. In Week 16 against the Falcons, Olsen had six receptions for 59 receiving yards and in doing so he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the third consecutive year. He became the first TE in NFL history to have 1,000+ receiving yards in three straight seasons after finishing with 1,008 yards in 2014, 1,104 yards in 2015 and 1,073 in 2016. In each of those three seasons, he also earned 50+ first downs. But while Olsen was the first to accomplish this feat, his record-setting streak was broken just two seasons later. Olsen's mark has since been eclipsed by three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, who had a streak of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2016-2022.
3) NFC Divisional revenge game
- GAME: NFC Divisional Round vs. Seahawks, Jan. 10, 2016
- Re-watch on NFL+
Flashback to the 2014 NFC Divisional Round when the Seahawks knocked the Panthers out of the playoffs with a 31-17 victory in Seattle. One year later, Olsen helped lead the Panthers to a hard fought 31-24 win against the Seahawks, this time in Carolina. With the Panthers holding a 24-0 lead, Olsen capped off the first half with an incredible 19-yard catch from Cam Newton in the end zone to push their advantage to 31. The All-Pro tight end recalls it as "one of the best catches of his career" and he finished with six receptions on six targets with 77 yards in the Divisional Round rematch to lead his team to the NFC Championship Game and eventually a Super Bowl appearance just a few weeks later. Unfortunately, the Broncos put a stop to the Panthers' dominant 2015 campaign with a 24-10 win over the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
4) Olsen's game-winning TD vs. Seahawks
- GAME: 2015 NFL regular season Week 6 vs. Seahawks, Oct. 18, 2015
- Re-watch on NFL+
Before the two teams faced off in the Divisional Round for the second season in a row, the two rivals lined up against one another in Week 6 of the 2015 season. The Panthers entered the game with a four-game win streak to open the season that the Seahawks were eager to snap. And it looked like it would happen as Seattle charged to a 23-14 lead. As time winded down in the fourth quarter, Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart found his way into the end zone with a 1-yard rush for the second time that game, to cut their deficit to three. With less than a minute to go, Cam Newton threw a deep 26-yard pass to find Olsen for the game-winning touchdown and one of the most memorable catches of Olsen's 10-year career with the Panthers. That win helped propel the Panthers to a 14-0 start and franchise-best 15-1 record.
5) Olsen has field day against former team
- GAME: 2014 NFL regular season Week 5 vs. Bears, Oct. 5, 2014
- Re-watch on NFL+
Olsen spent four years with the Bears after being selected in the 2007 draft before his career truly took off with the Panthers. In a regular-season game against his former team, Olsen had 72 receiving yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner with 2:18 left in the game. Olsen's performance was critical in the Panthers' win as the team found itself down 21-7 with fewer than 30 seconds in the first half. That's when Cam Newton connected with Olsen on a 9-yard touchdown pass to bring the game within a score. Then, tied 24-24, the Panthers took their shot at taking their first lead of the game. Newton found Olsen again on a 6-yard game-winning TD pass to cap off a strong comeback performance for the Panthers against Olsen's former team. Olsen just had five career games with two or more TDs, including a game vs. Arizona in 2009 when he had a career-best three TDs in his third season in the league.
