The Carolina Panthers don’t exactly have a surplus of offensive weapons as it is. They lost one today against the Buffalo Bills. Panthers tight end Greg Olsen left the game with a foot injury.
Initial reports do not bode well for Olsen’s outlook. Notably, the team ruled Olsen out for the remainder of Sunday’s game fairly soon after it happened. He announced after the contest that he did suffer a broken foot and will miss some significant time.
Greg Olsen admits he has a broken foot. "I'm going to miss a lot of games. It sucks." After awkward silence then says, "But we're 2-0!"
— Bill Voth (@PanthersBill) September 17, 2017
Greg Olsen describes what happened pic.twitter.com/umq9TVwb2N
— Bill Voth (@PanthersBill) September 17, 2017
Greg Olsen’s Durability Never a Question
Olsen’s durability throughout his career is remarkable. Now in his eleventh season, Olsen has appeared in 16 regular season games every year since his rookie campaign. That streak might now be in jeopardy.
Greg Olsen limping badly with his right shoe off. Pronounced limp. Non contact situation
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) September 17, 2017
Furthermore, Olsen’s role in the Carolina offense is as large as anybody outside of Cam Newton. The Panthers tight end has seen 100 or more passes come his way in each of the last five seasons. Last season marked a career high in that category.
2016 was one of Olsen’s most productive, ending with a third straight trip to the Pro Bowl. The tight end led the Panthers in targets (129), catches (80), and receiving yards (1,073). By any measurement, Olsen is one of the top tight ends in the game, and one of the most-depended on receiving threats around the league.
Between two teams (Chicago and Carolina), Olsen has 624 career receptions – 52 of which were touchdowns – good for 7,383 yards.
Behind Olsen on the Panthers depth chart is Ed Dickson, who has 148 career catches for 1,548 yards. Dickson finished Sunday’s game with two catches and 26 yards replacing Olsen.
