• Loading stock data...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Greg Olsen Ready for His Super Bowl Close-Up as Tom Brady Looms

  • Fox's No. 1 NFL analyst not just warming future Hall of Famer's seat.
  • Former tight end also teams with Vince Vaughn on podcast network.
Greg Olsen and Travis Kelce talk before Kansas City Chiefs game
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

With or without Tom Brady, Greg Olsen is ready for the biggest stage of his budding sports television career.

Olsen and play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt are poised to call Fox Sports’ broadcast of Super Bowl LVII from Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12, 2023.

Looking toward Super Sunday, Olsen tells Front Office Sports he will follow the same routine he did as a three-time Pro Bowler for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks. Prepare for every game – and game telecast – like it’s the Big One.

“We’re going to keep being us. We’re going to keep doing our brand of broadcasting. We think people have responded really well to it. We think people like it,” said the 14-year NFL veteran. 

“We will just keep being true to that. Regardless of 40 million, 20 million, or 100 million (viewers), we’re going to keep approaching each broadcast and each game and do the best that we can.”

It’s been a meteoric rise for the 37-year Olsen. In 2017, he was still an active NFL player calling games for Fox on his off weeks. 

Last year, he rose to Fox’s No. 2 game analyst behind Troy Aikman. Then, when Fox’s No. 1 team of Aikman and Joe Buck jumped to rival ESPN, Olsen and longtime friend and fellow New Jersey native Burkhardt were anointed the network’s No. 1 NFL team over more experienced colleagues.  

On Super Sunday, they’ll be joined by sideline reporters Tom Rinaldi, Erin Andrews, and rules analyst Mike Pereira for Fox’s 10th overall Super Bowl broadcast.

Separately, Olsen has become a media entrepreneur, co-founding the new podcast/production company Audiorama with Hollywood actor Vince Vaughn and former Panthers teammate Ryan Kalil. 

As the father of three young children, Olsen has focused his own “Youth Inc.” podcast on the changing world of youth sports.

When it comes to Fox’s NFL coverage, Brady looms large. The seven-time Super Bowl champion signed a monster 10-year, $375 million deal to become Fox’s No. 1 analyst when he retires. If Brady’s not playing in Super Bowl LVII, Fox “definitely” wants him to be part of its coverage, sources said.  

Olsen said that whether or not Brady plays a role in Fox’s coverage is strictly up to the bosses. So far, the subject has not been brought up.

Whatever they decide, Olsen believes he and Burkhardt have proven their ability to deliver on the big stage. 

The duo recently called the Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. With 42 million viewers, it was the most-watched regular season game in NFL history, beating the Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers in 1990. 

“If you’re asking me, I think Kevin and I have shown that we can handle a game on any stage – on any day. We just did it on Thanksgiving. We’ll do it again around Christmas. And obviously throughout the [NFL] Playoffs,” he said. “So whatever decision they make. Obviously, the bosses get paid a lot to make hard decisions. You have to obviously do what your bosses decide. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But as of now, I anticipate Kevin and I, the two of us, with Erin and Tom down on the sidelines, the four of us, broadcasting the Super Bowl in February in Arizona. Until I’m told otherwise, that’s how we’re proceeding.”

Fox ‘Definitely’ Wants Tom Brady For Super Bowl 57 Coverage

With his future uncertain, Fox wants Brady, sources tell Front Office Sports.
October 27, 2022

Meanwhile, Olsen confirmed he’s negotiated a new, more lucrative contract reflecting his “A-Team” status. But he declined to specify contract terms or numbers. 

Olsen knows he’s a placeholder for Brady. But who’s to say when the 45-year-old quarterback will hang them up? Or if Brady will change his mind about TV the way he changed his mind about retirement?

Remember, it only took Brady 40 days to “unretire” – and rejoin the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.

During his first Fox production meeting with Brady, Olsen decided to tackle the “elephant in the room” with some humor. 

“Tom, I gotta tell ya, this TV thing sucks,” joked Olsen. Brady cracked up, Burkhardt told the Sports Illustrated Media podcast. 

Olsen admitted the story was true. 

“We all got a good laugh out of stating the obvious. We’ll see how everything works out and plays out. But for the meantime, I will enjoy doing what I’m doing. How will next year work itself out? We’ll see when we get there.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL Executive Questions Logic Behind Streaming Giants’ Joint Venture

The ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox alliance is expected to launch this fall.

Ukraine’s Improbable Soccer Run Continues With Euros Qualification

The country reaches its first major soccer tournament since Russia’s invasion began.

The NFLPA Report Card Is Doing Exactly What It Was Intended For

Robert Kraft hasn’t gone to school in nearly 60 years, but on Tuesday the Patriots’ owner found himself talking about his report card. 

How Lack of Planning by NCAA, Gonzaga Led to Racial Abuse of Utah Athletes

The NCAA gave Gonzaga a waiver to place teams in an extremist hotbed.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
March 23, 2024

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers
exclusive

Threats, Demands, a Lawsuit, and a Website in Limbo: Inside the Chaos at ‘SI’

‘Sports Illustrated’ has new publishers, but the transition has been messy at best.
March 25, 2024

The Brian Kelly ‘Hit Job’ Kim Mulkey Ripped Is Barely About Brian Kelly at All

The article was hardly about Kelly at all.
March 25, 2024

Inside the Proxy Fight for the Future of Disney (and ESPN)

Dissident investor Nelson Peltz is seeking two board seats in an upcoming election.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
March 23, 2024

At ESPN, She’s the Storyteller of the Women’s Tourney—and What a Year It Is for That

Sara Gaiero sees Caitlin Clark hype as an opportunity to hook people on two ESPN products: March Madness and, eventually, the WNBA.
March 21, 2024

Ian Eagle Is Ready to Get March Madness Started

He succeeds Jim Nantz as the lead play-by-play announcer for CBS and TBS.
March 19, 2024

ESPN Locks Up a $7.8B College Football Playoff Extension

Network chairman Jimmy Pitaro announced the six-year deal at a conference Tuesday
March 19, 2024

WNBA Could Seek Its Own Media Deal

The league is open to splitting its negotiations from the NBA’s, sources say.