New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave absorbed a violent hit last week against the Carolina Panthers that resulted in him leaving the game and not returning. Diagnosed with another concussion, Olave’s status for this week’s game and future games this season is up in the air.
Here’s the latest on Olave’s condition and his chances of playing in Week 10 and beyond.
What Is Chris Olave’s Injury?
This is the second concussion of the 2024 season for Olave, who had just returned to the field from his previous one. According to this report, Olave has been diagnosed with six known concussions during his college and pro career.
The play resulted in Panthers safety Xavier Woods being penalized for unnecessary roughness. Meanwhile, Olave was lying unconscious on the field as his teammates kneeled around him and medical personnel rushed to his aid.
On the play, Olave attempted to catch a pass from quarterback Derek Carr when multiple Panthers defenders converged on him with what turned into a blow to his head.
Carr, in fact, received criticism from several former players on social media, including former quarterback Robert Griffin III, about his placement of the pass that resulted in Olave’s injury.
Derek Carr made the right read but he needed to protect Chris Olave with the throw. pic.twitter.com/VtHoUCiXjY
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 4, 2024
Olave was stretchered off the field, taken to a local hospital, diagnosed with a concussion, and then discharged. He returned to the team in time to fly back to New Orleans with them.
Earlier in the day, Olave’s brother, Josh, shared a positive update to somewhat ease concerns about the 24-year-old’s immediate health.
Bro just called, he's up and active🙏🏾
— Josh Olave (@josh_olave) November 3, 2024
Is Olave Playing in Week 10?
Olave is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and did not practice on Wednesday, New Orleans’ first session of the week and their first since firing head coach Dennis Allen on Monday.
The NFL’s concussion protocol is stringent in nature. Given that, as well as Olave’s history of concussions, it seems unlikely at this point that the Saints will have their top wideout for this Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Reporters covering the team have noted this week the intentionality with which the Saints, Olave, and his family are acting regarding his return to the field.
“Everything’s on the table,” interim head coach Darren Rizzi said this week, as quoted by Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com.
Darren Rizzi said "everything's on the table" in terms of the future for receiver Chris Olave, who is seeing specialists about his concussion history as a player. Olave, his family and reps are consulting with medical specialists to guide that future.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) November 6, 2024
New Orleans will practice two more times this week before it issues its final injury report on Friday afternoon. The Friday report will indicate not only practice participation but also the likelihood of Olave being active via the game designation status.
How Might Olave’s Absence Impact the New Orleans Saints if Ruled Out?
Olave enters Week 10 with the most receiving yards (400) on the Saints’ roster and behind only running back Alvin Kamara (46) in receptions with 32. While he’s only found the end zone once this season, Olave does have 22 catches resulting in a first down, which is 10 more than anyone else on the team.
The Saints are also opening the week of practice without fellow receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., who is dealing with a shoulder injury. Olave’s absence will be more pronounced, likely resulting in even more targets — and defensive attention — for Kamara.
New Orleans ranks 16th in yards per game at 331.4 and 18th in passing yards per game at 206.1.