The Saints’ new deal with Chris Olave comes with a major catch.
Per reporting from Nick Underhill, and also noted by Katherine Terrell, New Orleans built an exception into the wide receiver’s contract that lets the team void injury guarantees if Olave is no longer cleared to play because of concussions or respiratory pulmonary embolism, which is blood clots.
That detail matters because both issues have already been part of Olave’s story. He dealt with multiple concussions in 2024, and although he was healthy for most of last season, the blood clots issue surfaced at the end of the year and kept him out for much of the offseason.
Olave was cleared for training camp, and the two sides eventually reached a four-year, $124 million extension with up to $90 million in injury protection guarantees. But that guarantee total is not as simple as it looks, thanks to those carve-outs.
The Saints have been all in on Olave since draft day. They traded up and took him No. 11 overall in the 2022 draft after he’d put together a decorated college run, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2020 and 2021 and second-team AP All-American recognition in 2021 as a senior.
His contract path has now taken another turn. Olave was entering the final year of his four-year, $19,271,875 deal, which included an $11,195,909 signing bonus, when New Orleans exercised his fifth-year option for 2026 at $15.49 million guaranteed.
On the field, Olave continued to produce in 2025. He played in 16 games for the Saints, caught 100 of 156 targets, and finished with 1,163 yards at 11.6 yards per catch and nine touchdowns.
In Other News...
Saints Depth Battle Just Got Tougher At The Worst Time
The Saints depth chart took another hit this week as running back Ty Chandler and tight end Moliki Matavao were both placed on injured reserve after suffering knee injuries in the preseason game against the Rams. Both players had been in the thick of the roster competition, trying to make their case in a crowded camp as New Orleans sorts out the bottom of the roster ahead of cutdown day.
Rejzohn Wright had already landed on injured reserve earlier in the week, leaving the Saints to juggle one more round of attrition at exactly the wrong time. Because players placed on injured reserve before final roster cuts are not eligible to return this season, the injuries effectively ended both Chandler and Matavaos chances of making an impact in 2026, turning a depth battle into a search for replacements. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Trade Hints At A Bigger Backfield Problem Than Fans Knew
As the preseason winds down, the Saints and 49ers found a way to turn two roster bubbles into a rare late-summer swap. New Orleans is bringing in running back Zamir White while sending linebacker Deion Jones to San Francisco, a deal that helps both clubs navigate injuries and gives each player a cleaner path to either a roster spot or a practice squad role.
For the Saints, the move is a reminder that the backfield picture may have been shakier than it looked on the surface. White arrives with a chance to compete in a room that needed more answers, and the trade suggests New Orleans was willing to act before the cutdown crunch made those decisions for them. Jones, meanwhile, was likely headed toward release as well, which is why this reads less like a splashy transaction and more like two teams quietly solving a problem at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Had A Chris Olave Scare They Really Could Not Afford
Chris Olave gave the Saints a brief scare in practice when he went up for a deep ball, fell hard and was slow to get back on his feet. Head coach Kellen Moore said Olave landed on his back and simply got the wind knocked out of him, with no early sign that the play led to anything more serious or any need for additional testing.
For a team already trying to manage the absence of Jordyn Tyson, who is expected to miss much of the 2026 season, any moment like that can turn a routine drill into a nervous pause. Olaves status appeared to steady quickly, but for New Orleans, the bigger concern is obvious: keeping one of its top playmakers available and out of the kind of injury cycle the Saints can least afford. [Read more 🡒]