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.

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