Is this the end of the road for tight end Greg Olsen?
The Carolina Panthers gave a Greg Olsen injury and the prognosis is not good.
This could be the end of the road for tight end Greg Olsen. Carolina Panthers fans were finally given an injury update on his condition on Tuesday, and it sounds less than stellar at this time.
Per a press release from Panthers.com, Olsen’s condition will be monitored on a month-to-month basis.
"“Greg re-fractured his right foot against Dallas. There are no plans for surgery at this time. We will monitor his rehab and evaluate his progress on a monthly basis.”"
What this means to me is a couple of things. First, the Carolina Panthers better hope his rehab goes well. There is no doubt he is an integral part of the Carolina Panthers offense. He caught two passes for 33 yards, averaging 16.5 yards per catch in the team’s win over the Cowboys.
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Secondly, if there are no plans for surgery, is this a sign that Olsen has resigned to the fact that he may have to retire sooner rather than later? If he was anxious to get back on the field, I would think he would be eager to get surgery done. As good as he has been over the years, you have to think that retirement is creeping into his mind a little bit. He has suffered a plethora of injuries over the past couple of seasons and at what point is it enough? Sure, there is the competitive aspect and the fact that the internal fire never leaves a true competitor, but this is a situation where he may need to think about life after football.
Now, it is rookie Ian Thomas’s time to shine. The Panthers probably wish they did not have to use him this early in the season, but such is the cruel nature of the game. He had a decent preseason, catching two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. He caught two passes for four yards on Sunday.
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Either way, this does not look good for the Carolina Panthers. Greg Olsen may not come back this season. At the very least, he does not appear to be coming back soon. Retirement may be in his future sooner rather than later. I could not fault him for it. He has had a great career and should certainly be in the Hall of Fame conversation. At the end of the day, it would not be how he would want to leave the game, but he should not feel shame if he decided to hang up the cleats.