Panthers may get Greg Olsen back sooner than anyone expected

Panthers fans feared the worst when Greg Olsen broke his foot in Week 1. Early indications actually point to an early return for the All-Pro tight end.

After a disappointing loss to the Falcons on Saturday, Panthers fans could certainly use some good news. Fortunately, we have a positive update to share. The team may get one of their biggest offensive weapons back sooner, rather than later.

The initial fear when tight end Greg Olsen broke his foot for the second consecutive season was that he’d miss the entire 2018 campaign. The Panthers quickly signalled that wasn’t the case by not putting him on IR. Even so, most fans and media member assumed Olsen would still miss at least six weeks of action.

The fact that he’s already stopped wearing a protective boot during workouts should only increase the optimism about his return to the field. That doesn’t mean he’s going to show up against the Bengals on Sunday, but it does mean it’s very possible Olsen will make his return well before Week 9.

In fairness, that should have been the expectation all along. If the organization really believed Olsen would be out that long, they would have simply put him on IR with the designation to return. Teams are allowed to give to players that designation each season. Putting Olsen on IR would have allowed the team to add another player to the roster in the short-term.

The only reason for not making that move was if the team believed Olsen could return before Week 9. This latest development only reinforces that notion. It’s still unclear when exactly the talented receiver will return to the field, but it’s something for Panthers fans to watch closely moving forward.

His return to the field is obviously huge for Cam Newton. His options at tight end are significantly diminished when Olsen is out. Ian Thomas may develop into a quality starter, but he hasn’t played enough football in his career to come anywhere close to providing the same sort of production that Olsen does. Chris Manhertz is an excellent blocker, but he’s nowhere close to being a dangerous receiver.

Olsen’s return should also help Carolina get their running game on track. Christian McCaffrey has been a big part of the offense this season, but the majority of his yards have come via passes from Newton. In an ideal world, Ron Rivera would have an offense that features a 50/50 splits between run and pass. It’s difficult to do that without Olsen.

The one concern Panthers fans should have here is that Olsen might be coming back too soon. He’s clearly at a high risk of suffering a recurrence of injury. That’s why he broke his foot for the second time already. Surgery is probably going to be required in the offseason.

That means the Panthers will need to learn how to play both with and without Olsen this year. They can rely on him when he’s healthy, but they can’t afford to go into a shell when he’s not. It’s a delicate balance for Rivera and his coaching staff to balance.