The New Orleans Saints have spent this offseason building around Tyler Shough, giving the promising rookie a better runway to grow into the franchise quarterback role. Travis Etienne Jr., David Edwards and Jordyn Tyson headline the group of additions meant to help him.
But when it comes to who has the most riding on 2026, the answer isn’t Shough or any of those new faces. According to Larry Holder of The Athletic, that spotlight belongs to Chris Olave.
Olave’s situation is simple: he has to show that 2025 was no one-year spike and that the injury concerns that have followed him are behind him. Whether an extension gets done before 2026, during the season or after it, the pressure on him stays the same.
"Olave is coming off his best season with the Saints last year with 100 receptions, 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns," Holder writes. "He'll need to maintain that pace, and stay healthy, to live up to a hefty payday."
That payday could land around $30 million per season, and Olave has to earn it with another big year. Last season, he set career highs across the board, piling up 156 targets, 100 catches, 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. He also broke off a 62-yard reception, the longest of his career.
The fit with Shough clearly clicked. Even so, there’s still some unease because Olave missed more than half of the 2024 season with injuries. That’s why 2026 matters so much: he has to stay on the field and produce at an elite level again.
Holder labeled the 2022 first-round pick as the Saints player with the most on the line in 2026, and the logic is hard to miss. Olave needs to prove his breakout wasn’t a fluke and that he’s worthy of the kind of extension the Saints may be preparing to hand him.
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Saints Camp Could Flip Three Key Position Battles Fast
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Brock Rechsteiner has a path if the receiver room opens up, especially if the ball security issues around him keep showing up, while the interior line picture could shift if Jeremiah Wright keeps developing at the right pace. Add in the quarterback competition behind the starter, and this is the kind of camp where a few strong weeks can change the conversation fast, even if the final answers are still a little ways off. [Read more 🡒]