Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen weighs in on league's two biggest controversies heading into 2026

The NFL is facing 2 large issues arsenic the 2026 play approaches: however fans are watching the games, and the ongoing treatment of playing surfaces.

The erstwhile has been the taxable of controversy, truthful overmuch truthful that determination was a proceeding earlier this period regarding the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, arsenic fans are paying up the wazoo to ticker games exclusively connected streaming sites.

Former NFL choky end-turned-FOX expert Greg Olsen, however, understands that the league is simply a money-making business.

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Greg Olsen, NFL expert and erstwhile player, discusses however Zebra information helps teams analyse and amended subordinate show and however RFID exertion enhances instrumentality acquisition successful New Orleans, Louisiana, connected Feb. 5, 2025. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

"I get it. From a high-level, nonbiased perspective, I recognize it. I recognize the frustrations and wherefore this speech is retired there. The magnitude of antithetic streamers and subscriptions, and I request to person cablegram to spell on with my cable. I get each of that -- I'm besides a realist," Olsen said precocious to Fox News Digital.

"While I whitethorn not person designed it this mode and whitethorn not ever hold with it, I bash judge that we conscionable person to run wrong the rules successful which we're each living. This is the modern era, and I deliberation radical are going to adjust. I deliberation networks are going to pivot and adjust, I deliberation cablegram channels are going to pivot and adjust, nary antithetic than however these streamers volition proceed to evolve. At immoderate point, it'll each settee itself out."

Netflix and NFL signage advertises the NFL's 2 Christmas Day marquee games streaming unrecorded connected Netflix successful New Orleans, Louisiana, connected Dec. 1, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

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The playing aboveground speech is being heightened this summer, arsenic 11 NFL stadiums are hosting FIFA World Cup games, which indispensable instrumentality spot connected grass. Out of those 11 venues, six of them usage turf but were forced to marque the power to accommodate FIFA's regulations.

Half the league’s stadiums usage turf, contempt NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell saying that 92% of the league’s players prefer grass. Despite NFL players begging for writer and being told no, the stadiums had nary prime but to, arsenic NFLPA caput J.C. Tretter erstwhile said, "roll retired the greenish carpet of grass."

However, Olsen pushed backmost a spot connected the "interesting" conversation.

"When they get injured, they don't similar playing connected turf. And erstwhile they play connected atrocious writer successful the rain, and they play connected atrocious writer up successful the Northeast and Midwest successful the wintertime precocious successful the season, footing's bad, it's sloppy and cipher tin run, the accomplishment guys don't consciousness fast, they can't fig retired their shoes, they besides kick astir that. So I bash deliberation there's an constituent wherever you're ne'er going to marque everyone happy," Olsen begrudged.

The NFL logo is displayed connected the tract aft the crippled betwixt the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills astatine Highmark Stadium successful Orchard Park, New York, connected Dec. 28, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

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"If they made a regularisation that everybody was turf, radical would beryllium successful outrage. If each tract had to beryllium traditional, earthy grass, I deliberation everybody southbound of the Mason-Dixon would beryllium fine. I deliberation precocious successful the season, northeast games would beryllium precise difficult... Just parent nature. It is what it is."

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