This year, Tom Brady took over as the top NFL analyst for Fox Sports, meaning that he will call the Super Bowl showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles instead of former top Fox analyst Greg Olsen. And it sounds like Olsen is not necessarily happy about it. In fact, he openly admits that the whole situation has left him a bit resentful.
During a recent interview with Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, Greg Olsen did not hold back his true feelings on Tom Brady taking over his role as Fox’s top analyst and the Super Bowl assignment.
“It sucks,” Olsen said bluntly.
Olsen told Fowler that he has informed Fox he is not happy in his current role as Fox’s No. 2 analyst behind Brady.
“In my mind, I’m going to call big-time games again,” Olsen told the Charlotte Observer. “I’m going to call Super Bowl games again. I just don’t know the timeline or the venue.
“It’s pretty clear that the path, the upward trajectory as far as Fox goes, probably is a non-factor,” Olsen continued, referencing the nine years remaining on Brady’s contract with Fox. “I don’t know what the future holds. I enjoy working at Fox. Fox has been very good to me. They know. I’ve been very honest with them that I’m not content just calling one o’clock regional games for the rest of my career.”
Olsen was Fox’s top analyst and was replaced by Brady this season when Brady stepped into a broadcast role for the first time. It’s been a jarring change for Olsen, to say the least.
“To go from calling two years of the top games — a Super Bowl and then last year through the NFC Championship,” Olsen told Fowler. “And now this year, your season just ends in Week 18, and you’re home like everybody is, sitting on the couch watching it.”
While Olsen does not think “resentment” is necessarily the best way to describe the way he feels, he openly admits that it’s not “not too far off” from how he feels – though that resentment isn’t directed toward any individual specifically, Brady included.
“I don’t think resentment’s probably accurate,” Olsen told Joseph Person of The Athletic. “But I also think it’s not too far off, if I’m being honest. I don’t have any ill will — there’s no personal resentment towards Tom, or obviously [Kevin Burkhardt] and Erin [Andrews]. I still talk to all of them fairly regularly. I’m hoping to see them next week down in New Orleans and grab dinner or a drink and just kind of shoot the [breeze], catch up.”
It’s not clear what the future holds for Olsen at Fox or elsewhere, but it’s pretty clear that he is not happy.
