Greg Olsen avoided going on injured reserve after fracturing his right foot, and the Carolina Panthers tight end believes he's ahead of the game in his recovery.
"Yeah, I'm way ahead of the curve," Olsen said Monday, via David Newton of ESPN. "Last year at two weeks I was laying in my bed in a cast. I couldn't do anything.
"I'm way ahead of the curve from that standpoint. It's just a matter of seeing each week how your foot responds and just try to add a little more, a little more. What that time frame is, we're optimistic. Hopefully, it's sooner rather than later."
In Week 1, Olsen broke a bone in the same foot that forced him out of action for a stretch last season. Cam Newton's favorite target avoided surgery, however, and was aiming at a return after 4-5 weeks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported last week.
While there remains no set timetable for his return, with the Panthers' bye this week, it's one fewer game Olsen could miss as he works toward returning
"I'm doing good, feeling good," Olsen said. "Obviously, the bye week came at a good time to be able to get a good week of work without stressing out about missing a game potentially."
