Greg Olsen on Choosing Seahawks over TV Job: 'I Just Knew There's No Going Back'

Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen drew interest from several television networks this offseason but said his desire to continue playing football was too strong to retire now.

He told Peter King of NBC Sports:

"A lot of teams asked me that too. We heard from a lot of teams. Countless GMs and coaches asked me, 'You sure you want to keep playing?' They knew about the interest TV had in me. But honestly, if I wanted to take a TV deal, I could have done in it 2017. I've had ops each year since then. I just knew there's no going back. I know the case of Jason [Witten], obviously.

"But I knew it wasn't out of me. When I sat down to talk about it with my family, I just knew I still love playing football, and if there was a great opportunity for me, then I'd be 100 percent into it. If the team or the op was not right, I'd know I would have exhausted every option. Seattle was a great option for me. I knew I wanted to play. I don't HAVE to do this. But there was a great vibe to the Seahawks, and I thought it was a perfect place for me."

Olsen, 35, signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Seahawks in February after spending the last nine seasons in Carolina. He had been working in the booth for Fox's XFL broadcasts before the coronavirus abruptly ended the league. He also did a one-week stint for the network during the Panthers' bye week last season.

It's likely Olsen will jump immediately into the broadcast booth upon his retirement, which most thought would come after his release by Carolina. Olsen played 14 games last season, compiling 52 receptions for 597 yards and two touchdowns, but was a diminished version of himself after missing most of 2017 and 2018 with foot injuries.

The Seahawks instead came through with a surprisingly lucrative offer, allowing Olsen to compete for a championship in a new city. Olsen said the pandemic has made his adjustment after nearly a decade in Carolina a little more difficult:

"I was really looking forward to the offseason, getting familiar with culture and flow and the people. When you're in one place for so long, you take for granted the equipment guy, the security guy, the inside jokes. Now, like the new kid at school, you get the new locker, and the new class—and you can't go into the school yet. But obviously, the circumstances are out of my control. I've gotten to do a lot with Russell [Wilson] and the receivers in [Zoom] sessions on our own, which has been really helpful."

Wilson threw passes to five different tight ends in 2019, with Jacob Hollister leading the way with 41 grabs. Olsen should get a chance to be the first option on a depth chart that includes Hollister and Will Dissly, who was breaking out through six games before tearing his Achilles and missing the remainder of the season.