Tight end Greg Olsen and linebacker Thomas Davis were both three-time Pro Bowl selections with the Carolina Panthers; the duo will sign one-day contracts with the team before a retirement ceremony is held on March 11
Thursday 4 March 2021 22:32, UK
The Carolina Panthers will host a joint retirement ceremony next week for Greg Olsen and Thomas Davis after the two former stalwarts of the team announced the end of their careers.
Tight end Olsen and linebacker Davis will retire as Panthers on March 11. Davis announced Wednesday night that he would be signing a one-day contract to retire with the Panthers. Olsen tweeted Thursday morning that he will join him.
Davis was released by the Washington Football Team on Wednesday, and the Seattle Seahawks released Olsen on Thursday.
Both were three-time Pro Bowl selections with the Panthers.
Carolina made Davis, now 37, the No. 14 overall selection in the 2005 NFL Draft, and he played with the team through the 2018 season. One year each with the Los Angeles Chargers (2019) and Washington (2020) followed.
In 199 career games (174 starts), Davis made 1,216 tackles and had 90 tackles for loss, 29 sacks, 61 quarterback hits, 18 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries and a touchdown. He was an All-Pro selection in 2015.
Olsen played four seasons with the Chicago Bears after they selected him with the No. 31 overall draft pick in 2007. He joined the Panthers in 2011 and played there until he joined the Seahawks in 2020.
Like Davis, Olsen played 199 games (170 starts) and caught 742 passes for 8,683 yards with 60 touchdowns. He became quarterback Cam Newton's primary target and had three 1,000-yard passing seasons from 2014-16.
Injuries plagued the final years of his career, and he finished three of his final four seasons on injured reserve.
Olsen will turn 36 on the day of the retirement ceremony. He will work as an analyst on US television beginning this fall.
