Greg Olsen: Foot Injury Most Likely Needs Surgery, Hopes to Get It After Season

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen will need surgery on his right foot, but he will apparently play through the pain and wait until the end of the season for the procedure, according to Joe Person of the Athletic.

Olsen underwent surgery on his foot during the offseason to fix a fracture but re-fractured the area in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. While he has only appeared in one game this year, head coach Ron Rivera said Olsen could potentially return Sunday for the Week 6 battle against the Washington Redskins.

"Hopefully he'll be ready to roll on Wednesday," Rivera said on Monday, per Max Hensonof the team's official site.

The foot injury has already forced the 33-year-old to miss three full games in 2018 in addition to the nine missed games from 2017. Even when on the field, he has been a shell of his former self with an average of 28 yards per game and just one touchdown in eight games since Week 12 in 2017.

However, it's clear Olsen is a difference-maker when he is at his best. He was selected to three straight Pro Bowls from 2014-16, topping 75 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in each season.

With the Panthers struggling to find consistent pass-catchers this season—leading receiver Devin Funchess currently ranks 60th in the NFL with 238 receiving yards—a healthy Olsen could go a long way toward solidifying the passing attack.

Still, it seems this foot injury will likely hold him back throughout the 2018 season.