Greg Olsen Activated from IR, Will Play vs. Jets After Foot Injury

In a welcome sight for the Carolina Panthers, tight end Greg Olsen will be back for Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Olsen will play in Week 12 after Carolina activated him from injured reserve Friday. 

Olsen hasn't played since Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills when he suffered a fractured right foot in the second quarter of Carolina's 9-3 win. 

The injury required surgery and was expected to keep Olsen out of action for six to eight weeks. He wound up missing eight games over nine weeks, which included the team's Week 11 bye.

The Panthers have remained a major factor in the NFC playoff race without Olsen. Their 7-3 record has them one game behind the NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints, who they will play at the Superdome in Week 13. 

Olsen has been one of the NFL's most productive tight ends since he joined the Panthers in 2011. The 32-year-old was the first tight end in league history with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2014-16), and he had at least 69 receptions in each of the past five years.