When Greg Olsen transitioned from the field to the broadcast booth, his rapid rise made him FOX Sports’ lead NFL analyst.
But with Tom Brady preparing to debut in the booth for the 2025 season, Olsen has found himself sidelined from the network’s top commentary team – and with that demotion came a steep pay cut, dropping his reported salary from $10 million to $3 million.
However, Olsen isn’t bitter about the situation. Speaking on Pardon My Take on Friday, the former Pro Bowl tight end made it clear that he has no personal issues with Brady, emphasizing their strong friendship and shared respect, even as they both navigate ambitions within the same company.
Olsen says friendship with Brady stands apart from career goals
Olsen took time during the interview to separate his professional drive from any personal feelings toward Brady, who will be taking over as FOX’s No. 1 analyst in 2025.
“I always make sure I’m very clear where my personal aspirations to continue to ascend in this industry and to get back calling those games are completely independent of Tom and I,” Olsen said, on the Pardon My Take podcast.
“We’ve hung out, personally. We talk on the phone, we keep in touch, he sent a cool video for my youth football team…we talk about raising teenage daughters, we’ve gone to play golf together, we hung out at the Bahamas at a little retreat. We’ve gotten to be very good friends on a very personal level since he’s joined Fox.”
The idea of tension between the two has been a subject of fan speculation since Brady signed his lucrative 10-year, $375 million deal with FOX. Olsen’s subsequent shift down the pecking order raised eyebrows, especially given the quality of his on-air work. But Olsen is adamant that ambition doesn’t equal animosity.
“There’s this idea that there’s this personal animosity and competition. There’s not,” Olsen added. “My relationship with Tom and Fox and Joe Davis and Burkhardt and all my people at Fox couldn’t be better.
“On the other parallel line to that, yes, I want to ascend in the industry, and I’m sure Joe Davis wants to call Super Bowls as well, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like Burkhardt. Any motivated guy, you want to be the best at what you do. That is not a knock on the people that are ahead of you.”
Brady’s high-profile arrival is expected to bring a new level of spotlight to FOX’s NFL coverage, but Olsen‘s remarks highlight a professional who remains committed to his craft and ready for future opportunities.
With both men seemingly on good terms, the focus now shifts to how FOX will balance two marquee voices in its NFL lineup – and whether Olsen might eventually reclaim the spotlight he once commanded.
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