A surprising name has emerged as a potential suitor for the Panthers‘ head coaching job after the franchise fired Frank Reich earlier on Monday: Current Fox Sports analyst and former Carolina tight end Greg Olsen.
Olsen “would be interested” if the Panthers approached him about the opening, a report from The Athletic's Joseph Person and Richard Deitsch indicates.
NEWS: Ex-Carolina tight end Greg Olsen, the color analyst on Fox’s No. 1 NFL crew, would be interested in the Panthers’ vacancy if he were approached, according to sources.@josephperson and @richarddeitsch have more details ⤵️
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 27, 2023
Olsen, who joined the Fox broadcast booth full-time in 2021 after serving as a guest analyst in past years, has been lauded for his commentary work. But before that, he was a three-time Pro Bowler, one of the best tight ends in the league, and a beloved Panthers player.
Clearly, Olsen is knowledgeable about the NFL. But would Carolina have an interest in him? And is he qualified to be a head coach?
Despite his wealth of playing experience, Olsen has never paced the sidelines as a coach, unless you count his work as the leader of his son's Pop Warner team. This would be a leap of faith for both Olsen and Panthers owner David Tepper, who has fired two head coaches in three years.
A potential Olsen hire–probably a long shot–would make Carolina fans both excited and nervous, given Tepper’s track record at bringing in coaches. Stay tuned, folks.
