Pro Football Rumors
The Saints’ first training camp practice will take place on July 29. One of the team’s top storylines leading up to that point is the contract status of Chris Olave.
An extension has been a long-running discussion point between team and player in this case. As things stand, Olave is due to play on his fifth-year option in 2026. That would see him collect $15.49MM, a figure which doubles as his team-high cap charge for the coming season.
A long-term commitment would come as little surprise, though. As Larry Holder of The Athletic writes, an expectation exists that an extension agreement will be reached in time for Week 1. Olave himself said last month he is aiming to have a deal in place by the onset of training camp. The possibility of a multiyear commitment being in place within the next few days will remain something to watch closely as a result.
Olave was limited to eight games in 2024, but he managed to avoid any further concussion issues while remaining largely healthy last season. Lingering blood clot issues led to missed time during the spring, although the 26-year-old is cleared to participate in padded practices during camp. A hold-in could be staged in the event no deal is in place when summer work begins. Olave, though, has not indicated his plans in such a scenario.
New Orleans’ passing attack has leaned heavily on the Ohio State product during his career. Olave has received at least 119 targets in each of his three healthy campaigns, and he set new career highs across the board in 2025 with a 100-1,163-9 statline. Expectations will be high for another productive outing during quarterback Tyler Shough‘s first full year as the Saints’ starting quarterback, even with first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson in place as a new starting receiver.
The Saints have managed to clean up their cap relative to recent years with less dead money charges due in the future for aging veterans. Olave is a logical candidate to benefit from that additional spending power beyond 2026, something which could soon be realized in the form of an extension.
