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Greg Olsen

Greg Olsen To Return To Practice

November 19th, 2017 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

Panthers TE Greg Olsen, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a broken foot in Week 2, will return to practice tomorrow, as Olsen himself said during the FOX pregame show today (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Olsen, who is serving as a FOX analyst for today’s Rams-Vikings contest, indicated he would be on the field tomorrow and hopes to play against the Jets next week.

Greg Olsen

His return would be a boon for a team that traded away No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin at the trade deadline and recently lost rookie Curtis Samuel for the season. Carolina is very much in the thick of things in the NFC South, sitting at 7-3 and just a half game behind the division-leading Saints, and Olsen could help the club at least secure a playoff berth. Quarterback Cam Newton and Olsen have had a great rapport during their time together in Carolina, with both players now among the league’s best at their respective positions.

Ed Dickson has served as the Panthers’ top tight end in Olsen’s absence, but outside of one monster game against Detroit, he has not been able to replicate Olsen’s production. Last year, Olsen had 80 catches for 1,072 yards and three touchdowns, which was his third consecutive season with 1,000 yards or more (and his fifth straight season with over 100 targets).

Between Olsen, Devin Funchess, and Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers should be able to cobble together enough of a passing game to stay in the playoff hunt.

Panthers Rumors: Davis, Olsen, Kuechly

October 27th, 2017 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Thomas Davis provided some clarification about his health this week, making a slight correction to his wife’s assessment of an injury with which he’s dealing. During a TV interview, Kelly Davis said her husband was broken “completely broken ribs” for several weeks. The longest-tenured Panthers player said (via David Newton of ESPN.com) his wife didn’t lie and he is dealing with a broken bone in that area, but only one rib is affected. The 13th-year linebacker added the injury has healed to the point he doesn’t have to treat it any further. The Panthers called Kelly Davis’ comments “heartfelt” but “overstated,” noting Thomas Davis did appear on the team’s injury report for multiple weeks due to a rib ailment. Having started each of Carolina’s seven games this season, the linebacker is not in danger of missing Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

Here’s the latest out of Charlotte.

  • Greg Olsen says he’ll test his surgically repaired foot on the field next week, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. That’s when Olsen will first become eligible to resume practicing after going on IR in Week 3. If he’s healthy enough, Olsen could suit up again in mid-November. League rules dictate that players can return from IR after spending eight weeks on the list.
  • Ryan Kalil has played in just two of Carolina’s seven games this season and is unlikely to see action Sunday, although Ron Rivera said the longtime center could play in an emergency situation. Kalil’s dealing with a neck injury, one he aggravated in Week 7 after returning to the lineup. Rivera said (via Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, on Twitter) the Panthers are not ready to discuss an IR move for the 11th-year snapper. Tyler Larsen has started in Kalil’s place.
  • Luke Kuechly is in the final stage of concussion protocol, needing to be cleared by an independent doctor in order to play this week. The All-Pro middle linebacker practiced fully all week, per Newton, and is just more than two weeks removed from the latest concussion he suffered. Signs point to Kuechly playing against the Bucs. Should Kuechly return after missing just one game, it will mark his shortest concussion-induced absence as an NFLer. He missed three games in 2015 and six last season because of head injuries.
  • Rivera added the Panthers will get Kurt Coleman back after three missed games. The safety missed time because of a knee injury.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Panthers Place TE Greg Olsen On IR

September 19th, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official – the Panthers have placed tight end Greg Olsen on injured reserve. This was viewed as the most likely scenario after Olsen broke his foot over the weekend. Greg Olsen (vertical)

“The only thing that he has to do now is heal,” trainer Ryan Vermillion said in a statement released by the team. “I know Greg will be around and he’ll be involved. He’s a team guy. He’ll try to do everything he can to help this team continue to win.”

Of course, the NFL’s modified IR rules will allow for Olsen to return later this year. Teams are permitted to bring two players back from IR each season, provided that the player misses eight weeks of games. If Olsen recovers quickly, he could be ready to resume football activities in six weeks, so he’ll have time to get ready before a potential return in November.

The Panthers will miss Olsen, particularly after they managed only nine points in their Week 2 win over the Bills. Through two games, the Panthers have averaged 174.5 yards through the air, putting them in the bottom third of the league.

Last year, Olsen had 80 catches for 1,072 yards and three touchdowns. It was his third consecutive season with 1,000 yards or more.

To take Olsen’s place, the Panthers will promote fullback Alex Armah from the practice squad.

Latest On Panthers TE Greg Olsen

September 18th, 2017 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

The broken foot suffered by Panthers tight Greg Olsen will not be a season-ender, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, he could be out for as little as six games. Greg Olsen (vertical)

A stint on the injured reserve list is also possible, Rapoport hears. That would allow the Panthers to open up a roster spot while Olsen is sidelined, but it would also mean that he will have to miss a minimum of eight weeks.

As of this writing, Ed Dickson stands as the team’s top healthy tight end with Chris Manhertz as his only backup. Dickson did produce as a pass-catcher with the Ravens, but he is now several seasons removed from the 2011 campaign in which he had 54 grabs for 528 yards and five scores. Since then, he has not topped 25 receptions in any season and he has never managed more than 134 receiving yards as a member of the Panthers. It might behoove the Panthers to add another experience tight end with soft hands and that could be made possible by moving Olsen to IR.

Panthers’ Greg Olsen Suffers Broken Foot

September 17th, 2017 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen broke his foot on Sunday. There is no timetable for Olsen’s recovery, but he already admits that he’s going to miss “a lot of games.” Greg Olsen (Vertical)

The Panthers beat the Bills by a score of 9-3 on Sunday and it’ll be even harder to come by points without one of Cam Newton‘s favorite targets on the field. For now, Ed Dickson profiles as the team’s new No. 1 tight end with Chris Manhertz as the backup. At minimum, the Panthers can be expected to sign another tight end for depth. If the Panthers want to sign an experienced TE with a history of offensive production, they could call on Gary Barnidge now that the Texans have passed on him.

Olsen hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season in 2007, so this is unfamiliar territory for him. In his previous six seasons with Carolina, Olsen has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards, and five touchdowns per campaign.

The 32-year-old has two seasons to go on the three-year, $22.5MM pact he inked before the 2015 season.

Panthers Add Bonuses To Greg Olsen’s Deal

August 31st, 2017 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Greg Olsen still doesn’t have that new deal he was looking for, but he has been given some extra motivation with two years to go on his current pact. The Panthers have added $2MM in incentives to his contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has learned. The bonuses will be tied to catches, receiving yards, average yards per catch, and other honors, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds. Olsen now has the ability to earn $8.75MM in total this year.

Olsen was pushing the Panthers for a revamped deal earlier this offseason and it was even intimated that he could hold out from training camp. However, he backed down from those demands after the team fired GM Dave Gettleman. Citing a desire to keep the team distraction-free, he said that he would play out the remainder of his contract under interim GM Marty Hurney.

“I haven’t talked to Marty about it or anybody about it,” Olsen said. “If something gets done, great. But we’ve got a lot going on now with training camp and preseason and whatnot. So it hasn’t been really something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. But we’ll see over these next couple of weeks what happens.”

The tight end hasn’t missed a game during his six years with the Panthers, and he has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards and five touchdowns per season with the club.

Latest On Potential Greg Olsen Extension

August 16th, 2017 at 7:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers gave an extension to one of their most productive, respected veterans – linebacker Thomas Davis – on Tuesday. Tight end Greg Olsen might not get the same treatment, though: While interim general manager Marty Hurney and Olsen’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have discussed a new deal, an agreement isn’t imminent, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports.

Greg Olsen

An extension for Olsen isn’t a must from the team’s point of view, as the prolific pass catcher still has two seasons remaining on the three-year, $22.5MM pact he inked before the 2015 campaign. Further, Olsen hasn’t created any behind-the-scenes issues over extension talks. The 32-year-old would like a new contract, but he announced last month that he’s willing to play out the current deal so as not to serve as a distraction to the Panthers. However, Olsen did indicate on Wednesday that an extension could come this summer.

“I haven’t talked to Marty about it or anybody about it,” Olsen said. “If something gets done, great. But we’ve got a lot going on now with training camp and preseason and whatnot. So it hasn’t been really something I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about. But we’ll see over these next couple of weeks what happens.”

Olsen, whom Hurney acquired in a 2011 trade with the Bears during his first stint as Carolina’s GM, has become one of the top players in the Panthers’ relatively short history. The ex-Miami Hurricane hasn’t missed a game during his six years with the Panthers, and he has averaged 71 catches, 897 yards and five touchdowns per season with the club. He’s coming off his third straight 1,000-yard season, making him the first tight end in league history to accomplish that feat. It’s easy to make a case that Olsen deserves a new deal, then, especially considering he’s only seventh among TEs in yearly value on his current accord. But there’s apparently no rush on either side to make it happen.

Greg Olsen Says He’ll Play Out Contract

July 25th, 2017 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was hoping to have his deal reworked this offseason and even intimated that he might sit out during training camp to get what he wanted. On Tuesday morning, Olsen said he’s changing course. He’ll instead play out his contract so as to not cause further distraction to the team, the tight end tells Tiffany Blackmon of the NFL Network (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Panthers TE Greg Olsen Won’t Hold Out]

It’s not uncommon for players to back off of holdout threats, but it’s rare that a player will entirely abandon his pursuit of a better contract at the same time. Apparently, Olsen does not want to rock the boat in Carolina days after the team fired Dave Gettleman and brought back Marty Hurney to serve as interim GM.

Olsen was facing an uphill battle in trying to get his deal reworked with two years to go, but he also had a compelling case to make. His three-year, $22.5MM extension signed prior to the 2015 season was a reasonable deal at the time, but it now seems drastically under market for a player coming off of a third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

With another quality season, Olsen and the Panthers can be expected to discuss an extension that will allow him to end his career in Carolina. In the interim, Olsen will put his contract qualms aside and focus on football.

Panthers TE Greg Olsen Won’t Hold Out

July 24th, 2017 at 5:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers are set to report to training camp tomorrow, and Greg Olsen will reportedly be among the attendants. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the Pro Bowl tight end will not be holding out and is planning on reporting to Wofford College.

Greg Olsen (vertical)Olsen has been one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL over the past several years, and he recently became the only player at his position to post three consecutive 1,00o-yard seasons. Despite this production, the 32-year-old will be relatively underpaid, as he’s set to earn base salaries of $6.5MM over the next two seasons (along with a $10.35MM cap hit in 2017 and $9.75MM cap hit in 2018).

Olsen recently discussed his contract situation, and he didn’t reject the possibility of a hold out. Agent Drew Rosenhaus echoed this sentiment, but he cautioned that players shouldn’t “exercise” their “leverage” unless it’s necessary. The Panthers have seen plenty of front office turnover this offseason, but it sounds like the changes will have little impact on negotiations. Olsen made it clear that talks with former general manager Dave Gettleman were never contentious, although some tend to think that negotiations with interim general manager Marty Hurney may lead to a quick agreement.

The Panthers might be inclined to extend the tight end instead of reworking the final two years of his contract. This would provide the organization with additional control over the tight end’s upcoming cap hits, and it’d also let Olsen earn some extra cash.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Freeman

July 20th, 2017 at 10:56am CST by Zachary Links

Despite what Marty Hurney says, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer isn’t convinced that he’ll leave after one year if the Panthers wind up making the playoffs. Of course, if the Panthers fall flat and finish with a losing record again, it’s likely that the team follows through on the plan to hire a successor.

As unorthodox as the entire situation may be, Person believes that hiring Hurney was the right move for Carolina.

“I think one of my strengths is dealing with people and I do have a familiarity with a lot of people here,” Hurney said at his introductory presser. “Anytime you’re leading or managing you have to have that ability to communicate with people. Not only talk to people, but listen to people. So I do think that’s a strength and I’m hoping that’s one of the reasons I’m here.”

Here’s more from the NFC South:

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