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Ian Thomas has played in every game for the Panthers over the last two seasons, which means he helped fill in during the nine games that Greg Olsen missed the last two years.

Olsen won’t be playing any games for the Panthers in 2020 after being released earlier this month in a move that Thomas said took him by surprise. Once he recovered from that shock, Thomas moved on to thinking about what Olsen’s departure could mean for him.

The 2018 fourth-round pick is joined by Chris Manhertz on the team’s roster. With Manhertz mostly used as a blocker, Thomas could wind up as the No. 1 tight end this season.

“I think so. But, I mean, I’m not sure how everything is going to pan out,” Thomas said, via Joseph Person of TheAthletic.com. “But, yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for. . . . I think my first couple years were solid. I’m not really a person that likes to look into the future. But I’ll do my best to make sure I’m preparing for the next upcoming season as much as I can. Hopefully, that’s a good thing and that’s a great season ahead of me. But I like to live in the now.”

Thomas, who only played two years of college football after initially pursuing basketball, had 52 catches for 469 yards and three touchdowns in his first two seasons.