Golden parachute Andrew Marchand
Fox signs Olsen as No. 2 analyst for whenever he decides to retire
THE frenzied NFL TV freeagency market continues to move as Fox Sports has signed All-Pro tight end Greg Olsen to be its future No. 2 NFL game analyst, The Post has learned.
The contract will make Olsen the partner for Kevin Burkhardt after Olsen retires from the NFL. Olsen, 35, was going to leave the game for Fox after last season, but a $7 million contract and a chance to play with Russell Wilson made him change his mind and sign with Seattle.
Even after Olsen inked his deal with the Seahawks, Fox Sports executives continued to make a run at him for this season, but will have to wait until after he plays his final game.
If Olsen were to decide to continue playing after this year, Fox would wait for him, according to sources.
The move to think ahead is similar to what NBC has done with Drew Brees. The Post previously reported that Brees has a deal with the network after his retirement from the Saints to call Notre Dame games and work NBC’s Sunday night NFL studio show with the chance to one day succeed Cris Collinsworth in the booth.
In other big moves this offseason, Tony Romo re-signed with CBS for 10 years and $180 million in total value, while Fox’s former No. 2, Charles Davis, jumped to CBS to team with Ian Eagle on that network’s second game of each week. Davis replaced Dan Fouts, whom CBS chose not to re-sign.
For this year, the gap year between Davis’ departure and Olsen’s potential start, Fox has tapped Daryl (Moose) Johnston, a former No. 2 with the network, to be Burkhardt’s partner on its second team. Fox does have an extra playoff game this year. Johnston has been informed that Olsen is in the on-deck circle.
Johnston has been with the network since 2001. Last year, he worked with Chris Myers. Among others, Fox considered moving Brock Huard from the college game into the No. 2 slot, according to sources.
While Fox and NBC have made future plans, ESPN remains unsettled on what it will do for this year for its Monday night booth as it waits to see if college football is played or not.
If there is no college football this fall, then the network would likely shift its national championship-calling duo of Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit to the NFL for this year.
If there are college games, then
Herbstreit could be the analyst for ESPN’s top college game on Saturdays and the NFL on Mondays. This is not a done deal and ESPN is considering Louis Riddick, Brian Griese and Dan Orlovsky, as well.
Steve Levy is the leading candidate to be the play-by-play man on “Monday Night Football” if Fowler is occupied with the college game.
All of the broadcasting moves have been made this year as the networks ramp up for the forthcoming negotiations with the NFL for the next TV rights. ESPN/Disney/ABC had its eyes on Romo to help gain traction for a Super Bowl run. It also tried to sign Brees before he opted for NBC.
Now, Olsen is off the board. He was impressive last year doing a Giants game. He also did his homework while teaming with Burkhardt on the XFL.
He will start out behind Troy Aikman on Fox’s depth chart. Aikman currently is the lead game analyst on Sundays and Thursday nights.
Olsen makes Fox more contemporary, which is important to NFL executives. He has shown he has potential to be very good.
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