Even though Tom Brady is destined to seize his chair at Fox, Greg Olsen insists the quarterback’s looming presence won’t alter his approach.
Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt joined the latest episode of Jimmy Traina’s Sports Illustrated Media Podcast, and during the interview, the current lead analyst for Fox was asked to address Brady for the umpteenth time. Although this was the first time Olsen was asked about Brady as everyone is starting to believe his plan to be a game analyst for Fox will come to fruition. And according to Olsen, Brady’s presence still doesn’t seem to matter.
“When everything went down and we knew that Kevin and I were going to call this slate of games starting last year that obviously was going to end in a Super Bowl, there was no bigger magnifying glass on two guys in a booth than us,” Olsen said. “There was no story covered more on a week to week. And then it picked up when it went to the playoffs.”
“All we do and all we have ever done…we just keep calling our game,” Olsen continued. “We just keep doing the game the way see it, the way we talk about it and the way that we find is maybe a little bit different, new, we point out things that maybe not everyone’s pointing out. We dive into subjects of the game that are kinda a little more new age.”
Despite there being countless skeptics when Brady’s $375 million broadcast deal with Fox was announced by the network nearly two years ago, the clock appears to be ticking on Olsen’s pairing with Burkhardt. Every game that Olsen and Burkhardt call together brings us one broadcast closer to Brady taking over as the network’s lead analyst.
Olsen likened having his replacement looming to the nature of the NFL. Someone waiting in the wings is nothing new for broadcasters and it certainly isn’t new for a former player who was benched, traded and released at various points in his career.
“We’re gonna keep doing us, whatever team I’m on next year, whatever my future holds, wherever I am, so be it,” Olsen added. “I’m on the record about how much I respect Tom. I understand the situation, he’s the greatest football player of all time. I get it. I understand what we all signed up for, but it is not going to alter one thing we do… all we’ve done is continue to deliver and the ratings and all metrics show it.”
Burkhardt and Olsen delivered for two seasons, which only adds to the pressure that will fall on Brady’s back when he steps into the booth next season. But Olsen’s next move remains to be seen. Does he go to another booth? Another network? Become a coach? Force his way into a three-person booth with Brady and Burkhardt? The transition will inevitably be awkward, if not messy. But for now, Olsen and Burkhardt are just focused on their next call, not Tom Brady.
[Sports Illustrated Media Podcast]
