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Dymond McDonald of Leesburg, Va. takes a selfie with Fox Sports commentator and former NFL player Greg Olsen before a regular season NFL football matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Dallas Cowboys 40-34 in overtime. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Greg Olsen doesn't mince words about Tom Brady

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 1/26/23

No one wants Tom Brady to return to the NFL next season more than former NFL tight end Greg Olsen.

Greg Olsen on the potential of Tom Brady coming to the Fox NFL broadcast booth.@WaddleandSilvy @TWaddle87 @gregolsen pic.twitter.com/JCZIaFemV3
— ESPN 1000 (@ESPN1000) January 25, 2023

"It sucks," Olsen said about the possibility of Brady retiring and joining Fox's No. 1 NFL broadcasting team with play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt.

Olsen served as an analyst with Burkhardt this season on Fox, receiving kudos for his work.

Brady briefly retired during the last offseason and signed a 10-year, $375 million contract to join Fox Sports. He reconsidered and announced his decision to return to Tampa Bay in 2022.

Despite some gaudy stats, Brady had the most disappointing season of his career, and some — including former Bucs QB Shaun King — believe it's time for him to retire for good.

That would be bad news for Olsen and football fans.

Olsen has become one of the sport's best broadcasters, offering a fresh perspective as the rare non-QB to get a prominent position in broadcasting.

"My goal was to try to do the best job that I could. Give people a fun listen. Give people maybe a little bit of a different perspective and insight into the game," said Olsen on ESPN Chicago 1000 AM's "Waddle and Silvy."

He's certainly done that, and his work hasn't gone unrecognized. During the NFC divisional-round game between Dallas and San Francisco, he received an outpouring of social media praise.

Not for nothing, Greg Olsen is gonna be doing this announcing thing for a long time. It’s incredible how he can call a game.
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) January 23, 2023

99% of the time we talk about announcers on here it is because they just said something wrong or annoying so let us praise Greg Olsen for thriving as FOX's lead guy https://t.co/BL0wpPvn68
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) January 23, 2023

Greg Olsen called a terrific game for Fox. Explained key plays and decisions quickly. He was on top of everything. Well-deserved Super Bowl spot coming for him this year.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) January 23, 2023

Greg Olsen is the fantastic calling NFL games weekly. Aspire to get to where he is.

Prepared. Timely. Smart. Teaches. Story tells. Don’t make it about him but about the game.

Tremendous
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 23, 2023

If Brady enters broadcasting, it will be the latest change to the league's top booths.

After 20 years together at Fox, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman left for ESPN before the 2022 season. Also during last offseason, Al Michaels left NBC after 16 years to partner with ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit to call "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon.

Olsen will fall down the broadcasting hierarchy whenever Brady retires, possibly as soon as next season.

That would throw the viewers for a loss.

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