Saints' Chris Olave: Remains in concussion protocol
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Monday that Olave remains in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Olave was unable to suit up last Thursday versus Denver, and he'll still need to gain full clearance -- including from an independent neurologist -- in order to be eligible to play Sunday versus the Chargers. With Rashid Shaheed having undergone season-ending knee surgery and the availability of quarterback Derek Carr (oblique) still uncertain for Week 8, it would provide a key boost for New Orleans' offense if Olave managed to gain clearance in time to play in Los Angeles. Mason Tipton, Cedrick Wilson and Bub Means otherwise will be in line to lead the Saints' wide receiver room.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Won't play Thursday
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Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Wednesday that Olave (concussion) won't play in Thursday's game against the Broncos, John Hendrix of SI.com reports.
In the wake of suffering a concussion this past Sunday versus the Buccaneers, Olave wasn't able to practice this week, indicating he's made little-to-no progress through the protocol for head injuries. With Olave and Rashid Shaheed's (knee) sidelined for Week 7, the Saints will be particularly shorthanded at wide receiver Thursday. Mason Tipton, Cedrick Wilson (ankle) and Bub Means are the options on the active roster, while Equanimeous St. Brown, Kevin Austin, Dante Pettis and Jermaine Jackson are candidates to be elevated from the practice squad.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Not practicing Tuesday
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Olave (concussion) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Olave remains in the NFL's five-step concussion protocol after exiting Sunday's 51-27 loss to the Buccaneers. According to Rod Walker of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Olave has sustained four documented concussions during his football career dating back to his time in college, and one in each of his first three seasons with the Saints. Given his history, Olave looks unlikely to be available for Thursday's game against the Broncos, and his availability for Week 8 against the Chargers wouldn't seem to be guaranteed, either.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Non-participant on estimated report
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Olave (concussion) was listed as a non-participant on Monday's estimated practice report.
Olave made an early exit from Sunday's 51-27 loss to the Buccaneers and eventually was diagnosed with a concussion, so his projected lack of activity one day later isn't a shock. With a Thursday night matchup with the Broncos on tap, he's unlikely to gain clearance from the concussion protocol in time for that contest. Fellow wideout Rashid Shaheed (knee) also was a non-participant on Monday's report, along with quarterback Derek Carr (oblique), meaning the Saints' passing game could be severely undermanned Thursday.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Suffers concussion Sunday
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Olave won't return to Sunday's game versus the Buccaneers due to a concussion.
Olave hauled in a pass from QB Spencer Rattler in the first quarter, after which he took a hit to his upper body. The ball was knocked out of Olave's hands as he was pulled to the turf, and Bucs safety Antoine Winfield picked it up and took it to the house for a defensive touchdown. After making his way to the sideline, Olave visited the medical tent and then went to the locker room for a concussion check, which eventually was confirmed. With a short week on tap for a matchup with Broncos on Thursday Night Football, he'll be hard-pressed to be available Week 7.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Bust Alert
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I'm excited to see Spencer Rattler start for the Saints in Week 6 with Derek Carr (oblique) out, but I'm also concerned for the production we'll get from Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Both are still worth starting in three-receiver leagues, but both could also struggle with a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start. Olave has also struggled so far this season with Carr, and he only has three games with at least 12.8 PPR points and one touchdown. We'll see how he does against the Buccaneers, who are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but it could be tough for Olave with Carr out.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Struggles in tough matchup
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Olave was held to two receptions off of four targets for 10 yards in Monday's 26-13 loss to Kansas City.
The premier slot receiver struggled against the Chiefs' premier slot corner Trent McDuffie. Olave finished with his worst fantasy outing since Week 1 despite receiving two extra targets. The 2022 first-round pick provided at least 80 receiving yards in his previous three contests, so fantasy managers shouldn't be down on the Ohio State product ahead of a Week 6 tilt against Tampa Bay.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Suiting up Sunday
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Olave (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
Olave suffered a hamstring injury at Friday's practice, going down as a limited participant and earning a questionable tag for Week 4. While insiders like Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported this weekend that the wide receiver was expected to suit up Sunday, Olave's status ultimately came down to a pregame warmup, when he was seen donning a sleeve on his right leg, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Now that Olave is confirmed to be available, he'll look to keep his recent momentum going after combining for a 10-167-1 line on 12 targets the last two contests.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Optimism regarding status Sunday
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Olave (hamstring) is slated to test things out in warmups, but Adam Schefter of ESPN relays that the Saints are "confident" the wideout will be able to face the Falcons on Sunday.
Olave -- who is officially listed as questionable -- was added to the Saints' Week 4 injury report after suffering a hamstring injury during Friday's practice. However, it appears as though he's trending toward being available for Sunday's 1:00 ET kickoff, barring any pre-game setbacks.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Expected to play
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Olave (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game versus Atlanta, is expected to play, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Olave was previously reported to be a game-time decision as he works his way through a hamstring injury he suffered at practice Friday. He now appears set to play, but his status will likely be made official following the team's warmups prior to Sunday's 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff against the Falcons.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Considered game-time decision
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Olave (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Falcons, is considered a game-time decision, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
In the same report, Fowler does say there's some optimism Olave will be able to play, but it'll depend on what happens presumably during a pre-game warm-up. In any case, expect more information regarding Olave's status to come well before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Considered day-to-day, deemed questionable
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Olave (hamstring) is considered day-to-day and listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Olave was a late addition to the Week 4 injury report after hurting his hamstring during Friday's practice. The Saints have every incentive to relay uncertainty regardless of the reality, which means fantasy managers need to treat this as a potential game-time decision heading into the weekend. The only good news is that the Saints and Falcons have an early kickoff at 1:00 p.m. ET, leaving plenty of alternatives at wide receiver if Olave ultimately is deemed inactive. Fellow Saints WR A.T. Perry (hamstring) has been ruled out, and Cedrick Wilson (ankle) is questionable after missing practice Friday. The healthy WRs on the active roster are third-year pro Rashid Shaheed and rookies Bub Means and Mason Tipton.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Catches six passes in Sunday's loss
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Olave gathered in all six targets for 86 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 15-12 loss against Philadelphia.
Olave had to carry the Saints' passing game after looking like somewhat of an afterthought in the first two games. He got started early with three catches on the opening possesion of the game, and he came up big on the Saints' lone touchdown drive, first catching a 29-yard pass before hauling in a wide-open 13-yard touchdown just four plays later. He and running back Alvin Kamara also combined for nine of quarterback Derek Carr's 14 completions Sunday. The Saints' offense started the season with back-to-back blowout wins when Carr spread the ball around to the team's top group of pas catchers, which includes Olave, Kamara, wideout Rashid Shaheed and tight end Taysom Hill. However, Shaheed was a non-factor with zero catches on five targets in Week 3, and Hill was sidelined with a bruised lung. This group will look to get back on track during next Sunday's road matchup versus Atlanta.
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Saints' Chris Olave: One catch to open preseason
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Olave secured one of four targets for 10 yards in the Saints' 16-14 preseason win over the Cardinals on Saturday night.
Olave was the target on Derek Carr's first three pass attempts on the opening possession, logging his one catch on the second one. The talented third-year wideout, who produced a career-best 87-1,123-5 line across 16 regular-season games in 2023, is in line to serve as Carr's top receiver once again in the coming season. Olave was shed some proven competition for targets when Michael Thomas (knee) was released this offseason.
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Saints' Chris Olave: No limitations at practice
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Olave (shoulder) participated Wednesday in the first day of Saints training camp without limitations, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Olave's involvement in practice means that he's passed his physical and has been activated from the active/non-football injury list, while his lack of limitations is an indication that he's fully over the shoulder issue that relegated him to a non-contact jersey during spring activities. The Saints' No. 1 wideout will work to solidify his chemistry with Derek Carr throughout training camp, with the hope of making a true Year 3 leap. A healthier season from Carr could be all Olave needs to upgrade his production in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's scheme.
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Saints' Chris Olave: To practice Wednesday
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Coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday that Olave (shoulder), who was placed on the active/non-football injury list last week, will practice in part Wednesday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Olave looks set to come off the NFI list Wednesday, so it looks like he's nearly recovered from the shoulder injury that forced him to wear a non-contact jersey earlier this spring. The Saints are likely taking a cautious approach to the third-year wideout's recovery, given his status as a lynchpin of the receiving game. Meanwhile, Alvin Kamara reported to training camp Tuesday and is also expected to practice Wednesday, despite reportedly being disgruntled by his lack of a long-term deal with New Orleans.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Placed on NFI list by New Orleans
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The Saints placed Olave (shoulder) on the active/non-football injury list Thursday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.
Olave continues to work his way back from a shoulder injury sustained while weight training this offseason, and for which he spent OTAs in a non-contact jersey. While the issue seems minor, and Olave will be able to come off the NFI list at any point in training camp once cleared, his status will be worth monitoring. The 2022 first-round pick has just over three weeks to get healthy ahead of New Orleans' preseason opener against the Cardinals. OIave is coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons to begin his NFL career and is positioned nicely as a potential third-year breakout candidate, especially as the clear No. 1 target in a wide receiver room that also includes Rashid Shaheed, Cedrick Wilson and A.T. Perry, but that's assuming he's indeed able to return to full health without missing much time.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Set as WR1 in Big Easy
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Olave once again is in line to serve as the focal point of New Orleans' passing attack after the team added just one wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Bub Means at No. 170 overall.
Olave is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. The 2022 first-round pick has provided much-needed juice to an otherwise stale Saints offense. In fact, he's the only receiver to put up more than 720 yards in either of the past two seasons, as the team relied largely on aging veterans like Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry to buoy the passing game. New Orleans then moved on from Landry during the 2023 offseason before cutting Thomas in March. Meanwhile, the team went cheap with its additions at the position, signing free agents Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown and waiting until the fifth round to draft Means. As a result, the Saints will more than likely enter the 2024 campaign with three pass catchers who have recorded more than 500 yards in a single season: Olave, No.2 wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson. A.T. Perry, a 2023 sixth-round pick, will likely round out this receiving room, which Olave should clearly lead this season.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Finishes campaign with TD
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Olave secured all three targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 48-17 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Olave finished tied with multiple teammates for second in receptions and was also the runner-up in receiving yards. The second-year wideout also recorded his fifth touchdown of the season on an impressive contested, leaping 26-yard grab early in the third quarter, putting a solid cap on a productive sophomore campaign. Sunday's production pushed Olave's final 2023 line to 87-1,123-5 across 16 games, with all three totals eclipsing his rookie-season tallies.
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Saints' Chris Olave: Ready for Week 18 matchup
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Olave (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Olave now will play a third straight game since missing Week 15 with an ankle injury. He lit up the Rams for 129 yards the following game but then slumped to 3-26-0 (six targets) Week 17 in a 23-13 win over Tampa Bay. Olave was a full practice participant Friday and shouldn't have any limitations Sunday as the Saints battle for a playoff spot.
