He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.

[1] Olsen played most of his career for the Carolina Panthers, with whom he made three Pro Bowls, and became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

Olsen grew up in Wayne, New Jersey, and attended Wayne Hills High School, where he played football and basketball under his father, Chris Olsen Sr.[2] As a high school senior he was one of three finalists for the Gatorade Player of the Year award, along with former Miami Hurricane teammate Kyle Wright.

He placed 2nd in the shot put event at the 2003 NJSIAA Meet of Champions, recording a career-best throw of 18.03 meters.

He became the starter of the Miami Hurricanes in his sophomore season in 2005 after Kevin Everett was drafted in the third round by the Buffalo Bills.

[8] In 2003, Olsen was one of the players that participated in the University of Miami's rap group, the 7th Floor Crew, under the pseudonym G-Reg.

Many media sources ridiculed him for his involvement in the group, which earned national notoriety for their sexually explicit and vulgar lyrics.

[14] He made his NFL debut on September 23, 2007, against the Dallas Cowboys, catching two passes for twenty-eight yards.

[21] In 2009, Olsen quickly developed a rapport with Jay Cutler, whom the Bears had acquired from the Denver Broncos.

[24] However, Olsen helped the Bears win their first 2011 playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, catching three passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

[30][31] Olsen finished the 2014 regular season with a career-high 84 catches, 1,008 receiving yards, as well as six touchdowns en route to the Panthers second consecutive NFC South division title.

[37] After wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin suffered an ACL tear and did not play for the entire year,[38] Olsen was tasked with being the main target of soon-to-be NFL MVP Cam Newton.

In Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, Olsen caught eight passes including two touchdowns and a career-high 134 receiving yards.

[46] He caught six passes for 113 yards against the Cardinals to help the Panthers in their 49–15 win and a Super Bowl 50 berth against the Denver Broncos.

[57] On November 19, Olsen served as a guest analyst on FOX Sports, calling a matchup between the Vikings and the Rams.

[61] In the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Olsen left the game in the second quarter with a foot injury.

[63] On December 2, Olsen ruptured his plantar fascia in the second quarter during a 24–17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[77] Olsen signed a one-day contract with the Carolina Panthers on March 11, 2021, that allowed him to retire as a member of the team.

He began doing color commentary during bye weeks towards the end of his playing career and went full time in the profession in 2021, working with Kevin Burkhardt.

[83][84][85][86] Olsen is now part of the network's second team with play-by-play announcer Joe Davis for the 2024 NFL season, after Tom Brady joined Fox Sports.

[87][88][89] In March 2022, Olsen, along with Vince Vaughn and Ryan Kalil, launched a podcast network and production company named Audiorama.

The large-scale event is held annually each summer in Chicago's Grant Park and hosts over 1,000 people.