Russell Wilson Responds To Greg Olsen’s Seahawks Decision
Russell Wilson responded to Greg Olsen’s Seahawks decision on Tuesday afternoon.
This week, Olsen agreed to sign a one-year deal with Seattle. The veteran tight end took meetings with the Seahawks, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, but ultimately he felt like Seattle offered him the best opportunity.
Although free agency does not officially commence for another month, the 34-year-old found himself looking for a new home after the Carolina Panthers handed him his walking papers.
Originally, Carolina maintained that its split with Olsen was mutual – but he later acknowledged that was not entirely true.
“I told them all along that if they wanted me back obviously I would have been back,” Olsen said a few weeks back.
“The ‘mutual parting’ might have been a little overblown. The reality is they weren’t going to bring me back at my current contract, my age, and the direction of the team.
“I understood it, but I didn’t force my way out of here. I told them if you want me back and I have a place on this roster come July, then that’s a whole different story.”
That was a far different version of events than the one described on his Twitter page the day he announced that he and the Panthers were going their separate ways.
“I had the opportunity to sit down with (general manager) Marty Hurney and have a great conversation regarding my future with the organization,” he wrote at the time.
“The team and I are both on the same page that it is best we go in different directions for now,” Olsen continued.
“On the field, I will always cherish the nine seasons we shared together. The wins, the losses, standing at midfield holding the Halas Trophy as NFC champs.
“The reality of going to the Super Bowl was beyond words, as was the disappointment of falling short.”
Ultimately, the Panthers’ decision was as much financial as anything else. Olsen’s contract forced the team to deal with an $11.6 million hit against the cap. Something had to be done about that, one way or the other.
Now Olsen will have the opportunity to start fresh with Seattle, who showed a lot of interest in acquiring him as soon as he became available.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Olsen’s deal is for one year and $7 million. Of that, $5.5 million is guaranteed.
Now Wilson will get the tight end he asked for on social media.
This aged well.. https://t.co/hHIB4vDuln
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 18, 2020
Shortly after the deal was signed, Wilson went back to Twitter to follow up on the message he originally wrote about wanting Olsen.
“This aged well,” he said.
Last season, Olsen recorded 597 yards and two scores on 52 catches over the course of 14 outings. Part of the reason for those decreased totals was Cam Newton’s injury throwing the Panthers’ offensive situation in flux.
Now that Olsen gets to team up with arguably the best quarterback in the NFL right now, it will be interesting to see if he can return to the form that made him the greatest tight end in Panthers history.
Olsen currently sits in fifth place all-time among tight ends as it pertains to receptions with 718 and yardage with 8,444. Moreover, he is also Carolina’s all-time franchise leader in receiving yards, receptions and 100-yard receiving games.
Over the course of his first six years with the Panthers, Olsen recorded three separate 1000+ yard campaigns.
The Seahawks desperately needed some offensive support for Wilson. Now they have it in the form of a proven, battle-tested veteran tight end.
Related: New England Patriots Drafting Quarterback Jacob Eason
Michael Kyaw, initially a PR Manager, built up a valuable network of connections in the sports world that he then utilized to become an influential sports business reporter. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, Fansided, ESPN and the Wall Street Journal.
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