When Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen left Sunday’s loss to Tampa with a foot injury, it must have felt something like deja vu for rookie Ian Thomas.
Olsen re-injured his surgically repaired right foot — which he first broke in 2017 — in the first half of Carolina’s Week 1 win over Dallas, forcing Thomas into action much sooner than expected. Olsen opted not to have surgery and instead let the foot heal on its own, but still missed three games.
During that time, Thomas — who at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds was the first pick of the fourth round in April’s NFL draft — played the majority of the team’s snaps at tight end.