Panthers sweeten tight end Greg Olsen’s deal in place of new contract

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen didn’t get the raise he was seeking, but he still has a chance to cash in with more money based on his performance.

The Panthers have added $2 million in incentives to Olsen’s contract, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told the Observer Thursday.

Olsen, the only tight end in NFL history to post three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, can collect bonuses by hitting benchmarks in receptions, receiving yards, average yards-per-catch and postseason honors, Rosenhaus said.

Olsen can reach one of the incentives by hitting the 1,000-yard mark again, which he said during training camp was one of his goals.

Olsen, 32, signed a three-year extension worth $22.5 million in 2015, including a $12 million signing bonus.

But he felt like he had outperformed the contract and wanted a deal that better reflected his standing among the league’s top tight ends. Olsen is the seventh highest-paid tight end with a per-year average of $7.5 million, and is 12th at his position in terms of guaranteed money.

The Observer reported in July that general manager Dave Gettleman was fired in part because of his handling of the contract situations involving linebacker Thomas Davis and Olsen.

Since taking over for Gettleman, interim GM Marty Hurney has extended Davis’ contract through the 2018 season and added the incentives to Olsen’s deal.

This story was originally published August 31, 2017 at 5:14 PM.