Greg Olsen Confirms Injury Is Broken Foot After Panthers' Win vs. Bills

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen told reporters he suffered a broken foot in Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

"I broke my foot," Olsen said. "It's tough. It sucks."

Olsen is out indefinitely, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Olsen was ruled out during the game, per Bill Voth of the Panthers, who noted Olsen was originally considered probable to return. Olsen was eventually carted back onto the field in street clothes while wearing a protective boot, per Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. Rodrigue also noted Olsen was on crutches.

Olsen, 32, has been one of the NFL's best tight ends during his 10-year career and has certainly been one of Cam Newton's most reliable offensive weapons in recent years. He has three straight seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards and four straight seasons with 73 or more receptions.

He was excellent again in 2016, catching 80 receptions for 1,073 yards and three scores.

It's arguable that outside of Newton, Olsen is the team's most important offensive player. He's Newton's safety blanket, he's a dangerous weapon in the red zone and he gives the team a steady option down the seam and over the middle in the passing game. 

Losing a stabilizing force like Olsen means that Newton and the Panthers will have to rely even more heavily on the running game and playmakers in Kelvin Benjamin, Christian McCaffrey and Curtis Samuel.

With Olsen sidelined, Ed Dickson will step into the starting role.