Olsen Denies Asking For Trade From Bears
(CBS) Greg Olsen trade rumors started the moment Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator after the 2009 season and they never really went away until the tight end was finally traded to Carolina last month.
After the trade, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo claimed Olsen asked for a trade before the 2010 season -- something that had been reported at the time -- but Olsen told the Chicago Tribune a much different story Thursday.
"I never asked for a trade," Olsen told the newspaper. "If [Angelo] had said, 'We are going to try to get rid of you,' I would have said, 'That's fine.' I did not go in his office and ask for a trade. I think a little bit of that is him trying to make it look like I tried to force my way out because they took so much heat about it. It's just not true."
But Angelo maintains stance on how the situation played out.
"Greg and I had numerous conversations prior to the 2010 season about his status with the Bears, both over the phone and in person," Angelo said. "I spoke with his agent as well. In everybody's best interests, we made a decision that benefited both parties. I stand by what I said."
