Since suffering a refracture of his surgically-repaired foot, Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen has decided to put off surgery to work his way back from the injury.
According to David Newton of ESPN, Olsen has expressed that he is ahead of schedule on his recovery and hopes he will be back on the field much sooner than expected.
“Yeah, I'm way ahead of the curve,” Olsen said Monday night at his HEARTest Yard yoga fundraiser on the team practice fields behind Bank of America Stadium. “Last year at two weeks I was laying in my bed in a cast. I couldn't do anything.
“I'm way ahead of the curve from that standpoint. It's just a matter of seeing each week how your foot responds and just try to add a little more, a little more. What that time frame is, we're optimistic. Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later.”
Olsen is a huge part of their offensive game plan, so this is a very encouraging sign for the Panthers. When healthy, he has proven to be one of the league's most productive tight ends in the passing game. Olsen is 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 in five straight years as one of Cam Newton's favorite targets.
Olsen will benefit from missing less time given that Week 4 is the Panthers' bye week for the season, which falls in line with reports that he could be back in the fold by this week or the following one. There is no rush for him to return to the mix, but it is abundantly clear that he has a strong desire to get back on the field quickly.
In the meantime, the Panthers will continue to monitor the situation as Olsen looks to be a factor in helping the Panthers push for the playoffs and potentially much further.
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