The Carolina Panthers bid farewell to tight end Greg Olsen on Tuesday (for at least the next month and a half).
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end was placed on injured reserve with a broken foot, the Panthers announced.
"He broke the fifth metatarsal on his right foot -- it's called a Jones fracture," Panthers athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion told Max Henson of the team's official site. "He had a screw inserted to repair the fracture."
Olsen can practice again in six weeks and play in eight. He left Sunday's win over the Bills in the second quarter and returned to the field in a walking boot and crutches.
"I broke my foot. It's tough. It sucks," Olsen told reporters at the time. He has played in 16 games per season every year since 2007 and logged at least 1,000 receiving yards every year since 2014.
As NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, there was never a fear of Olsen missing the entire season. Still, quarterback Cam Newton will have to make it half the year without his most trusted security blanket. Olsen has been a life preserver for Newton over the years and was in line to do so again in 2017 with Carolina's new-look offense. That pressure now falls on the already heavily targeted rookie Christian McCaffrey.
