Greg Olsen has battled foot injuries for more than a year now, but the Carolina Panthers tight end opted against surgery when he re-fractured his foot in Week 1 this year. The hope was that he could return quicker with just rest and rehab, and it sounds like Olsen is right on schedule.
Bill Voth of Panthers.com reported that Olsen returned to the practice field on Thursday. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes, Olsen’s initial timeline for recovery was 4-5 weeks, and this puts him right in that range.
#Panthers TE Greg Olsen is in shells and a helmet today, per @PanthersBill. Word was he was hoping to play 4-5 weeks after breaking his foot, without surgery. This Sunday would be week 4 in what may be an impressive return.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 4, 2018
Olsen underwent surgery last season after breaking his foot in Week 2 and was able to return later in the year, but the stress fracture — also called a Jones fracture — that he suffered is one that carries a significant risk of re-injury. The Panthers seemed convinced Olsen was healthy during the offseason with the new contract they gave him, but it seems like he may always carry the risk of re-injury.
