Longtime Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen announces retirement

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen has officially announced his retirement.

Over his 14 seasons, Olsen had 8,683 receiving yards, 742 receptions and 60 touchdown.

He also became the first tight end in NFL history to post three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, from 2014 to 2016, according to the Panthers.

Olsen was drafted originally by Chicago in 2007 before being traded to the Panthers in 2011. He played nine seasons for the Panthers before playing his final season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.

“To the countless teammates, coaches, and staff members in Chicago, Seattle, and especially Carolina, I thank you. You molded and shaped me into the player and person I am today. I’ll cherish those personal relationships more than anything else. This career is built on relationships, and in that area I was so fortunate,” Olsen said in an Instagram post.

Off the field, Olsen also had a huge impact in the Charlotte community. The Greg Olsen Foundation provided resources to families affected by cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Through the foundation, Olsen and his wife, Kara, gave a $2.5 million investment for the HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center. It’s a new outpatient clinic near Levine Children’s Hospital for children with heart conditions.

According to the Panthers, Olsen will join the Fox network full-time in his post-playing career.

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