Slow Start for Saints Chris Olave Fuels Injury Speculation

High expectations for the New Orleans Saints ended the moment it was announced that Derek Carr was retiring from the NFL. Since then, the franchise’s focus has seemed to shift to specific agendas. The first was aiming for the 2026 NFL Draft to address many of their woes.

The second was figuring out what they had with rookie quarterback Tyle Shough. Unfortunately, the tape wasn’t giving a ton of inspiration to the franchise or the fan base. However, he wasn’t receiving a lot of support from his skill position players, such as Chris Olave, either.

What Happened to Chris Olave?

One of the best players on the New Orleans offense, Olave had been a consistent producer regardless of the man under center for the franchise. However, against the Falcons, it seemed like the star wide receiver was in for a long night.

As they trailed 16-10 near the end of the third quarter, he had been involved in the offense, with six targets to his name. Catching four passes, he was able to add 24 receiving yards. However, for a player of his stature, that total left a lot to be desired.

Immediately after, though, he was able to make a critical catch at the six-yard line to add 16 more to his total, as the Saints looked to add their second touchdown of the day. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get into the end zone and had to settle for a field goal instead.

However, that still kept them within one score of the Falcons, as their chances for the game weren’t completely over. Olave, on his end, was putting together another strong season after missing more than half of the 2024 campaign.

After back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin his career, he seems to be back on the same pace this year, with 664 yards and four touchdowns coming into Week 12, ranking 27th on PFSN’s WR Impact.

On pace to barely eclipse his career-high of 1,123 receiving yards set in 2023, his stature might be underrated given the quarterbacks he’s worked with his entire career.

Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.