The man who will be replaced by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady as No. 1 NFL analyst at Fox Sports when he retires believes that the seven-time Super Bowl champion won’t call it a career just yet. Greg Olsen, a former NFL tight end and currently the No. 1 NFL analyst for Fox Sports alongside Kevin Burkhardt, said during an interview on ESPN's Adam Schefter’s podcast that the 44-year-old Brady won’t retire until he gets 10 Super Bowl rings.
In his 22-year career, Brady won six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I don’t think Tom’s career is over until he gets 10 Super Bowls," Olsen said, adding “anything less would be selling himself short”, per Sports Illustrated.
Brady was signed by Fox Sports to a 10-year deal worth $375 million to be their No. 1 analyst when he eventually decides to retire, replacing Olsen. When asked about Brady’s imminent takeover of his current job, Olsen said he has no animosity or hard feelings towards the quarterback, saying Brady have been good to him and his family during their playing days. “I have all the respect in the world for Tom. He has always treated me so well. He’s been so kind to my family,” he said, adding any network won’t pass on the opportunity to get Brady as analyst if they have the chance.
In his first season with the Buccaneers after a 20-year stay with the Patriots, the 44-year-old Brady led Tampa Bay to its first Super Bowl title since 2002 with a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Buccaneers failed to make it back to back after their loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Days after the loss, Brady announced his retirement but changed his mind 41 days later, saying he still has "unfinished business."
Gronkowski retires for the second time
If Brady would go for his 8th Super Bowl, he won’t have his long-time tight end Rob Gronkowski by his side. The 32-year-old Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL for the second time on social media, saying he will be “walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had.” Gronkowski first retired in 2018 when he was still with the Patriots due to injuries but he came out of retirement when Brady signed a two-year deal worth $50 million with the Buccaneers two seasons ago.
However, Jenna Laine of ESPN reported that there’s a possibility that Gronkowski might return to the Buccaneers if convinced by Brady, according to the tight end’s agent, Drew Hosenhaus. "It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call," Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter. If Gronkowski would remain firm in decision to retire, he would end his Hall of Fame-bound career with 621 catches for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in the regular season and 98 catches for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns in the postseason.
