Greg Olsen appeared on the latest episode of New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, and both brothers made clear they consider Fox’s No. 2 analyst the best in the business.
On his podcast, Jason didn’t lean on empty praise or buzzwords. He framed Greg Olsen’s reputation as a settled fact among players — the analyst everyone knows is operating on a different level — before Travis removed any ambiguity by calling Olsen the best in football and inviting anyone who disagreed to say it out loud.
“I love my guy Troy [Aikman] at ESPN — Troy and Joe Buck are phenomenal,” Jason said. “I’m not trying to throw shade anywhere, but I will say it’s pretty routinely acknowledged from players that Greg offers some of the best insight of all time, calling games. It’s high energy, it’s good times, but there’s really good insight that I think you could tell…you’re the son of a coach. Like, the way you think about the game is very holistic. You’re very caught up with the analytics.”
“I have to give you your flowers from the jump,” Travis told Olsen. “You’re the best at it right now, brother. My favorite to listen to. 92 percenters — I don’t give a sh*t if you think I’m biased — this man is the best calling the games right now, and I f*cking love every single that I get to listen to. He makes it fun.”
Greg Olsen spent two seasons as Fox’s No. 1 analyst alongside Kevin Burkhardt after Troy Aikman and Joe Buck left for ESPN in 2022. He called Super Bowl LVII, won back-to-back Emmys, and earned nearly universal praise for his work. Then Fox brought in Brady on a 10-year, $375 million deal, and Olsen got bumped to the No. 2 booth with Joe Davis for the 2024 season and beyond.
Brady’s first season was rough. He was stiff, unfinished thoughts plagued his analysis, and he struggled to find his rhythm. He wasn’t nominated for an Emmy, while Olsen earned his fourth consecutive nomination. But Brady improved dramatically in Year 2, growing more comfortable and confident in the booth. Fox producer Richie Zyontz told Sports Business Journal that Brady has “gotten damn good at it,” and viewers have noticed the difference. Brady is no longer the liability he was in 2024.
But improvement doesn’t mean superiority. Awful Announcing’s 2025 NFL announcer rankings still had Olsen and Davis as the No. 1 booth, with Brady and Burkhardt at No. 9.
That’s because Greg Olsen explains the game the way it’s actually being played in 2026, not the way it was played 20 years ago. He understands analytics. He breaks down situational football better than anyone. He anticipates what coaches are thinking rather than reacting after the fact.
When the Eagles went for two while down nine late in a Black Friday game against the Lions in November, most analysts were confused. Olsen wasn’t. He immediately explained the decision on social media, breaking down the win probability and why Nick Sirianni’s call made perfect sense even though conventional wisdom said to kick the extra point. That’s what separates Olsen from the pack. He’s studying these exact situations so when they happen in real time, he can explain the logic instead of defaulting to what feels comfortable.
That’s exactly what Jason Kelce was describing — the holistic approach, the coach’s son perspective, the ability to think beyond his position. Greg Olsen played 14 years in the NFL as a tight end, made three Pro Bowls, and was twice a finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. But his broadcasting career has been defined by his ability to explain the entire game, not just his position. He understands offensive and defensive schemes. He knows what coaches are trying to accomplish. He can anticipate play calls and explain why certain decisions make sense, even when they don’t look conventional.
“I’m not telling you anything [you don’t know], but as a player, we all just enjoy how much you put into it,” Jason added. “And it’s apparent, and it’s every time I get the chance to listen to Greg Olsen, I come away learning something — as a professional player that played 13 years — which I think is just awesome.”
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.