Greg Olsen confirms he wants new contract, won’t rule out holdout

Greg Olsen has been one of the most productive tight ends in football over the past four or five seasons, and the 32-year-old feels it is about time the Carolina Panthers compensated him accordingly.

In 2015, Olsen signed a three-year extension worth $22.5 million with $12 million guaranteed. He is under contract through 2018 at an average annual salary of $7.5 million, making him the seventh-highest paid tight end in the NFL. While speaking with Adam Schefter on the “Know Them From Adam” podcast this week, Olsen confirmed he is seeking a new contract.

“I know there’s a lot of other tights ends that get more acclaim and recognition, but if you go back and just look at not only the statistics but the consistency, the productivity, the durability, all those things, there’s nobody that can match up and has done what I’ve done,” he said. “That’s the reality of it. Whether or not that can be adjusted and reflected contractually, we’ll see. The stats and the numbers all speak for themselves.”

Olsen’s 1,073 yards receiving last year ranked second among all tight ends. His 80 receptions ranked fourth. He was also second in receiving yards in 2015 with 1,104 and fourth once again in receptions with 77. Olsen is the only tight end who eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in both seasons.

But how far is he willing to go to get the Panthers to offer him a new deal? Schefter asked Olsen if he has considered holding out, and the Pro Bowler did not dismiss the idea.

“I think it’s early right now. I think as the summer goes on and we get some feedback from the organization on how they feel, we’ll make the best decision that we can,” he said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say we feel very strongly about where we should be in that totem pole of the top tight ends.”

The numbers say Olsen should be paid like one of the top two or three tight ends in football. Not only that, but he hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season. Olsen is Cam Newton’s favorite target and has ripped the NFL on behalf of the quarterback in the past, so you know Cam wants to keep him around. Olsen may not have a ton of leverage, but he has a fairly strong case.

H/T Rotoworld