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Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen went down with a foot injury in their 16-8 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. According to Joe Person from The Athletic, Olsen was was seen on crutches with a boot on his right foot.
Olsen on crutches with boot on right foot, which is the surgically repaired one.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 9, 2018
Olsen went down with a broken foot in a Week 2 win against the Buffalo Bills last season. He returned to the team late in the year to help them finish the regular season 11-5. The Panthers ultimately lost 10-22 to the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs. When Olsen is in shape, he is one of Cam Newton's favorite targets. He has totaled over 1,000 receiving yards in 3 of his 7 seasons with the Panthers and is one of Newton's favorite targets in the red zone.
After the game, Newton notes how invaluable Olsen's presence on the team is.
Article Continues Below“You can't ever replace him,” said quarterback Cam Newton of Olsen per Steven Taranto of 247Sports. “Just his professionalism that he brings to this game and his overall outlook and IQ.”
Center Ryan Kalil also expressed his disappointment over the recurrence of Olsen's foot injury and is hopeful that his teammate receives some good news this time around.
“He was pretty upset. I feel bad for him,” center Ryan Kalil said per Max Henson of the team's official website. “He works incredibly hard and cares a tremendous amount about doing his job for his team. It breaks my heart for him. Hopefully he gets some good news.”
Olsen only managed to get 2 receptions for 33 yards before having to leave. Even without him, the Panthers were head and shoulders above the Dallas Cowboys. While Newton did not throw for a touchdown, he completed 17 of 26 pass attempts and rushed for 58 yards for a score. Running back Christian McCaffrey looked stronger this year and will be more of an asset as both a rusher and receiver.
The Panthers would rather not be without Olsen, but they showed that they are still well equipped enough to make the competitive NFC South interesting. They will get a chance to avenge themselves as they take on the Falcons next week in Atlanta. This will be an important divisional matchup that will help them establish their dominance.
