Seattle Seahawks tight end Greg Olsen officially put pen to paper on Monday afternoon, inking his one-year, $7 million dollar contract.
Olsen, soon-to-be 35, spent the last nine years of his NFL career in Carolina before getting released shortly after the season ended. He knew he would have plenty of offers to continue his playing career, despite a handful of injuries in recent years, and he knew he could always step into the broadcast booth full-time.
However, Olsen ultimately settled on Seattle, where he’ll have an opportunity to play alongside dynamic playmaker Will Dissly – who has looked great in his 10 NFL games but has also dealt with two consecutive season ending injuries.
While the opportunity for playing time certainly appealed to Olsen, it was by no means the only reason he picked Seattle.
“It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Olsen said. “Their track record of success, consistency of winning. I’ve played in this city many times, and just the fanbase, the excitement, that stadium is one of the more unique venues in all of sports. And obviously Coach (Pete) Carroll, playing with somebody like Russell (Wilson), it just checks so many boxes I was looking for, and I’m confident I can just come in and do my part and help try to put (us) over the edge.”
Olsen went on to discuss the way the Seahawks operate as an organization, saying he’d heard stories from multiple sources, including Russell Wilson himself, about how great the organization treats people and how fun it is to play here.
“Just the entire organization has been so first class, and that’s everything,” Olsen said. “When I did my research, everybody I talked to said the same thing—it’s a special place, they do things the right way, they treat people the right way. And in my couple of days out here visiting with everybody, I kind of saw with my own eyes what everyone was talking about.”
Olsen is a three-time Pro Bowler with 8,444 yards and 59 touchdowns to his name. While age has caught up with him in recent years, there’s plenty of reason to believe he can step in and have a big impact on this team, both on and off the field.
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