Since suffering a refracture of his surgically-repaired foot, Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen has continued to take steps forward in his recovery from the injury.

Olsen has ramped that effort up over the last few days of the week leading into the Week 5 action against the New York Giants that now has him listed as limited in practice on Thursday morning, according to David Newton of ESPN.

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This is an encouraging step forward for Olsen in hopes to return to the field this season despite dealing with an injury that will eventually require surgery. He has made much progress in the last several days that has seen him take part in more on the field activities that has led to him putting pads and a helmet on Thursday.

There is no cemented return date for Olsen, but it is becoming quite clear that this could be coming in the near future over the next couple of weeks. The Panthers will likely like to see how his foot responds in a practice setting first over the next couple of days before making a determination on his health. Aside from that, his increased involvement with the team on the field is a clear sign that he's inching closer to being able to play this season.

Olsen's return will provide a huge boost to the offense as he has proven to be a highly reliable target in the passing game for quarterback Cam Newton. This has led to him putting together some productive campaigns that saw him become the first tight end in NFL history to notch more than 1,000 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons. He has recorded more than 60 catches five straight years that have all come with the Panthers where he has been a primary feature in the passing game.