Greg Olsen’s condition continues to improve and that is great news
Greg Olsen may be coming back sooner than we thought.
I would say this goes under the category of “good news.” Tight end Greg Olsen, whose football future seemed in doubt just a couple of weeks ago, is listed as probable in the latest Carolina Panthers injury report.
Per multiple media reports, Olsen was absent from Friday’s game injury report. Per a report from Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, head coach Ron Rivera stated that Olsen would be listed as “Probable” on the report.
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Per Kelsey Riggs of WCNC, Rivera stated that the Panthers will see how Olsen is feeling on Saturday. The good news is that he took many reps at Friday’s practice, one that was much better weather-wise after a rainy week.
If Olsen is able to play even a little bit, that would be huge. The offense has been performing well in his absence, and adding him to the mix would be a welcome addition. This will just give Norv Turner another weapon to throw to. He has worked well with his other tight ends in the past (think Antonio Gates) and there are similarities between the two. Both are veterans who have been in the league a long time and are very good at their craft. They both possess playmaking capabilities, and can be depended upon as key figures in an offense.
I just hope they do not rush him back too quickly. With a veteran player like this, more often than not they will let him decide when he can play again. Maybe the rehab process has gone better than expected. Maybe this is one of those scenarios where he is just dealing with the pain so as to avoid a lost season. I could certainly see that as being a possibility. After all, the Panthers look to be in great shape for a deep playoff run, although somehow I probably just jinxed them.
Per a report from Steve Taranto of 247Sports, the Panthers plan to give Greg Olsen the same workload as if he was completely healthy. That is a good thing. At the very least, it puts his body to the test. If he can keep up with it, that bodes well for the team moving forward.
As he stated on Thursday, there have been no problems for Olsen with the injury to this point.
"“There’s no telling what the next day brings, but so far there hasn’t been a lot of signs that there would be any lingering issues in days to come,” said Olsen. “Until that changes, (We’ll) keep moving forward like we have. … I wouldn’t put myself out there if I couldn’t help the team.”"
Next. What to expect from a Thomas Davis return. dark
With the tougher part of the schedule coming up, this news could not have come at a better time. This is not the type of situation where the Panthers are desperate for offensive production. As a result, they can ease him in slowly to the offense again and help him get back into top condition. This will only make the Panthers even more dangerous.