Greg Olsen is feeling sidelined in the broadcasting world, and he’s not happy about it.

The former NFL tight end, who has transitioned into broadcasting, will be a spectator for Super Bowl 59 instead of participating as he hoped. Olsen quickly gained popularity in the broadcast booth, known for his insightful and engaging commentary.

Just two years ago, he called Super Bowl 57 and received impressive feedback from viewers. Now, at 39, Olsen is stepping back at Fox Sports, having been replaced by Tom Brady for the lead analyst position on the network’s top NFL broadcast team.

“In my mind, I’m going to be calling significant games again,” Olsen told the Charlotte Observer in a recent interview. “I plan to call Super Bowl games again. I just don’t know when or where that will be.”

After Brady joined the network, Olsen slid down to Fox’s second team. He is now teamed up with Joe Davis, who is also known as the voice of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and for calling the World Series on Fox. This change also came with a substantial pay decrease, with his salary dropping from $10 million to $3 million, according to the New York Post.

His previous partner, Kevin Burkhardt, will be on the team calling the Super Bowl in New Orleans alongside Brady. Before this shift, Olsen and Burkhardt were Fox’s second-tier team before being promoted after Joe Buck and Troy Aikman moved to ESPN.

Olsen has expressed his frustration about being back in the second spot.

“It’s pretty clear that my path at Fox has changed, and it likely isn’t going to improve,” he mentioned. “I’m unsure what lies ahead. I enjoy my work at Fox; they have treated me well. But I’ve been upfront with them about my dissatisfaction with just calling regional games.”

Even though he isn’t thrilled with the current situation, Olsen isn’t directed his frustrations towards Brady.

“I wouldn’t say I feel resentment,” Olsen shared with The Athletic’s Joe Person in a recent chat.
“But it’s tough to watch games that just a couple of years ago I was preparing for and calling. Now, I’m sitting on my couch, mentally broadcasting the game, thinking, ‘Man, what would I have said on that play? There was so much to discuss there, and it would have been exciting to dive into it.’”

With only two years remaining on his Fox contract, it’s uncertain where Olsen might land if the top analyst position doesn’t become available again.

Fox has secured Brady for nine more years as part of a 10-year, $375 million contract. ESPN has Aikman. CBS is set with Tony Romo, while NBC retains Cris Collinsworth.

None seem to be planning any moves soon, especially with reports indicating that NBC has extended Collinsworth’s contract through the 2030 Super Bowl, according to The Athletic.

The next round of NFL broadcasting deals won’t happen until 2032, with Amazon expected to make a significant bid for the big game rights.

With each of the four networks that carry Super Bowls committed to their top analysts for the foreseeable future, Olsen’s path forward looks challenging.

The most straightforward avenue would be Brady retiring and focusing more on his ownership role with the Las Vegas Raiders. However, despite the surrounding controversies, he hasn’t suggested that this is imminent.

Olsen likened his time as the top analyst to staying at a luxurious hotel.

“It’s like staying at a really nice hotel,” Olsen remarked. “Before experiencing it, you think, ‘I’m fine anywhere.’”

Only time will tell if he can return to that level of comfort. For now, he’s likely accumulating a lot of reward points.