Canal Street Chronicles
Entering the fourth year of his career, Olave has put some work in during the offseason.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has appeared to put on significant muscle after pictures surfaced of the young wideout at voluntary OTAs.
Olave has dealt with multiple significant head injuries throughout his three-year NFL career, with some fans and former players advising him to retire due to the severity of his injuries. Despite some advising the young wideout to retire to avoid more injuries, he appears to remain committed to the team and has even bulked up during the offseason.
In 2024, Olave appeared in 8 games, catching 32 passes for 400 yards and a touchdown before missing the remainder of the season due to a concussion he suffered against the Detroit Lions. The former 1,000-yard receiver also missed a game earlier in the 2024 season due to a head injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
With Olave being focused on building muscle in the offseason, the hope is that he can protect himself better and stay healthy throughout the season. Despite the muscle gain, some fear Olave may lose some speed and agility.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Saints will be making a decision soon on picking up Olave’s fifth-year option. With quarterback Derek Carr likely to miss significant time and potentially the entire 2025 season, New Orleans will likely rely on Olave for whoever takes over at quarterback and is likely to be a younger signal caller.
The Saints have continued to do homework on wideouts in the draft and have specifically focused on red-zone and middle-of-the-field threats. Despite shopping for receivers, Olave’s future with the team relies more on health than possible additions to the receiver room through the draft.
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