Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen re-fractured his right foot this past weekend and will be evaluated monthly, the team announced Tuesday.
“There are no plans for surgery at this time,” Panthers head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion said of Olsen, who is a three-time Pro Bowl selection. “We will monitor his rehab and evaluate his progress on a monthly basis.”
It suggests Olsen will be sidelined for a significant period, although it remains unclear whether he can return sometime this season.
The Panthers also announced that offensive tackle Daryl Williams was recommended to undergo surgery to repair a knee injury he sustained in Sunday’s 16-8 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Williams initially dislocated his right patella and tore his MCL early in training camp.
Olsen had two catches for 33 yards on Sunday before exiting the game in the first quarter after stepping on the foot of a defender while running a pass route. He ended up making a 19-yard catch on the play before returning after halftime sporting crutches and a walking boot.
–The Atlanta Falcons placed Pro Bowl linebacker Deion Jones on injured reserve, the team announced.
Jones suffered a foot injury in Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He will have a surgical procedure performed on the foot, but the Falcons expect him to return this season.
“We are bummed for Deion, but we do expect to get him back at some point this season,” said head coach Dan Quinn on the Falcons’ website. “He represents all that we are looking for in a Falcon player, and while he will not be on the field for us right now, he will continue to have a presence in our building.”
Jones must remain on IR for at least six weeks. He then would have two weeks to return to the roster. The earliest date he could return would be on Nov. 11 for a game at Cleveland.
–The Detroit Lions are in a wait-and-see mode on the injury to defensive end Ezekiel Ansah.
Ansah was knocked out of Monday’s season-opening loss to the New York Jets. Ansah was hurt in the second quarter of the 48-17 shellacking and did not return.
During a conference call with the media on Tuesday, Patricia said he had nothing new to report on Ansah’s status.
Detroit and Ansah have a short week to get ready for Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions have lost their last 12 visits to San Francisco.
Ansah, who is playing under a $17.143 million franchise tag, registered a team-high 12 sacks last season and had one more Monday before he was hurt.
