NFL

Greg Olsen interested in Panthers' head coaching gig, report says

Olsen spent most of his NFL career with Carolina

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Could an ex-player suddenly go from NFL broadcaster to head coach for a second straight year?

The Athletic's Joe Person and Richard Deitsch reported on Monday that former star tight end and current Fox analyst Greg Olsen would be interested in the Carolina Panthers' head coaching vacancy if he were approached by team owner David Tepper.

Carolina fired Frank Reich as head coach on Monday following an 11-game stint where the Panthers went an NFL-worst 1-10. Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was named Carolina's interim head coach.

Olsen, 38, spent nine of his 14 NFL seasons in Carolina, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 2015 team that reached the Super Bowl. Olsen, who signed a one-day contract to retire as a Panther in 2021, ranks in the top four on the franchise leaderboard in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Olsen has been a game analyst on Fox's top NFL broadcast crew for the past couple seasons. But it's anticipated that Tom Brady, who received a reported massive contract from Fox, will to take over for Olsen as the network's lead NFL analyst starting next season.

Olsen, like Jeff Saturday last season, doesn't have any high-level coaching experience. According to The Athletic, Olsen's coaching experience is limited to his son's Pop Warner team.

In November of 2022, the Indianapolis Colts hired franchise legend Jeff Saturday away from ESPN to be the team's interim head coach after the firing of, coincidentally, Frank Reich.

The stunning hire was highly scrutinized, as Saturday's only prior experience was as a high school assistant, and it ultimately didn't work out. The Colts went 1-7 under Saturday and he wasn't given the full-time role.

Will the Panthers, who are looking for their fourth different head coach since 2019, take a similar gamble with Olsen?

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