Several former Carolina Panthers players have already expressed joy over the team firing general manager Dave Gettleman on Monday, and there may be at least one member of the current roster who shares in their excitement.
Veteran tight end Greg Olsen has made it clear this offseason that he would like to rework his contract. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, Olsen had no chance of getting a new deal with Gettleman calling the shots.
In recent weeks, a pair of Panthers’ captains and two of Richardson’s favorite players – linebacker Thomas Davis and tight end Greg Olsen – made it known they wanted contract extensions.
A team source indicated Gettleman was not interested in giving Olsen a new deal only two years after Olsen received a three-year, $22 million extension, although the feeling inside the organization was that Davis would get at least another year added to his contract before the start of training camp next week.
Olsen confirmed recently that he feels he is underpaid. The 33-year-old signed a three-year extension worth $22.5 million with $12 million guaranteed in 2015. 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. He has produced like one of the best over the past three seasons.
Olsen has not ruled out making an unpopular move in an attempt to get a new contract, but perhaps the dismissal of Gettleman will help move talks in the right direction.
