Will Greg Olsen make it into the Hall of Fame?

The former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was one of the top TEs in the NFL for many years and he was quietly a big reason why Cam Newton won MVP in 2015 and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Olsen was a stud with the Chicago Bears when he was drafted by them in 2007, but he did ascend into a consistent, elite TE when he transitioned to the Panthers in 2011.

The world knows Olsen was a wonderful, unique player, and he was also one of the three finalists for Walter Payton Man of The Year in 2018. Although, there is a question that many Panthers fans, fantasy owners of Olsen, and NFL fans ask: will Olsen make it into the Hall of Fame? Well, here is how Olsen compares to a current Hall of Fame TE, a likely future first-ballot HOF TE, and a TE that will make the NFL Hall of Fame in the distant future.

*stats are according to Pro Football Reference

Here is a look at Olsen’s career

• 8,683 career receving yards
• 60 career receving touchdowns
• Three-time Pro Bowl selection
• zero Super Bowl wins
• zero All-Pro teams

Jason Witten

• 11 time Pro Bowl selection
• 130,046 career receving yards
• Two-time All-Pro selection
• 74 career receving touchdowns

Tony Gonzalez

• 15,127 career receving yards
• 111 career receving touchdowns
• Six-Time All-Pro selection
• 14-time Pro Bowl selection

Travis Kelce

• 9,006 career receving yards
• 57 career receving touchdowns
• Three-time All-Pro
• Super Bowl champion

It’s clearly difficult and rare for a TE to make it into the Hall of Fame. Gonzalez was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he really cemented himself as a Top 3 TE of all time in his journey with KC and ATL. The world knows that Robert Gronkowski, who has a plethora of championship rings and records, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I believe that Kelce is an interesting case and Olsen stands a slightly better chance to be compared to him than Gronk.

Kelce doesn’t blow Olsen away in total production, as he actually has fewer career-receiving touchdowns. Although, Kelce still has a few years left in his career, to say the least. Kelce also has the record for the most 1,000 yard seasons in a row (six) and he looks to keep climbing the ladder. Furthermore, Kelce has a Super Bowl ring. I do believe that Kelce will have to have another All-Pro season or Super Bowl ring to be a first-ballot HOF, but he certainly is already a future Hall of Famer and he likely will be a first-ballot HOF when he hangs up his cleats. It’s clear why Gonzalez is in the HOF and why Kelce will be a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.

Witten and Olsen are retired and they will not be first-ballot Hall of Famers. Yet, Witten is absolutely a lock to make it into Canton at some point. With that said, does that provide hope for Olsen? Unfortunately, I don’t foresee Olsen making it into Canton. Witten has several more Pro Bowl honors and significantly more career-receiving yards in his career. Nonetheless, it will still take a while for Witten to make it into the Hall of Fame. Olsen was a true pillar of dominance and consistency, but he wasn’t a consistently Top 3 TE, he doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring, and his career marks in yards and touchdowns aren’t cream of the crop in the TE category. Olsen was a gift from the football gods, but he won’t be enshrined in gold.