During the New Orleans Saints’ Week 6 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Chris Olave exited the game in the first quarter after suffering a concussion. The Saints’ WR1 was not able to return and missed their Week 7 game vs. the Denver Broncos.
Let’s examine the latest injury info on Olave, and what this could mean for the Saints and fantasy managers going forward.
What Happened to Chris Olave?
Early in the first quarter in Week 6, Olave took a hard hit from Buccaneers defensive back Zyon McCollum and fumbled the ball, which Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered and returned for a touchdown. The play was reviewed and upheld as a touchdown.
Olave takes a hard helmet to helmet hit here and gets the ball knocked out. Should this have been a flag for the hit? #TBvsNO pic.twitter.com/R6eRwOKKnw
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) October 13, 2024
Olave initially went to the sideline and sat on the bench before being taken to the medical tent. He was then taken to the locker room for further examination. Unfortunately for Olave and the Saints, the WR was diagnosed with a concussion and did not return.
It’s tough to say how long Olave will be sidelined, as concussions are tricky. Most players miss at least one game. With the Saints playing on Thursday Night Football, there was never a chance Olave could clear the concussion protocol in time.
Saints HC Dennis Allen ruled out WR Chris Olave for Thursday night’s game vs. Denver due to a concussion.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 16, 2024
Now ahead of the Saints’ Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, it appears Olave is still in concussion protocol.
INJURY UPDATE: Chris Olave remains in the concussion protocol pic.twitter.com/CEEmlPTb6J
— The Fantasy Source (@FantasySource_) October 21, 2024
However, it’s worth noting that Saints reporter Nick Underhill also reported that Olave could potentially return this week. We’ll have to see whether Olave can participate in a limited practice, as that would indicate that he’s progressed through the various steps of the five-stage protocol.
Every concussion is serious as there is nothing trivial about a traumatic brain injury. For Olave, though, this is his fourth documented concussion. He had one at Ohio State and now has three during his NFL career. It’s certainly possible that Olave is sidelined more than just one week.
Potential Fantasy Fallout of Olave’s Injury
The days of players sustaining concussions and playing the following week are mostly over. It is exceedingly rare in the modern NFL. There’s absolutely no way we will ever see a player enter the protocol on a Sunday and play on a Thursday ever again. Dr. Chao reminded us of this fact shortly after the injury.
Chris Olave suffered a concussion on Sunday. With his history of concussions and the short turn around @profootballdoc expects him to miss week 7's TNF vs. the Broncos. #saints
➡️https://t.co/6WF4SmmRGu pic.twitter.com/IOiVxJz7hM
— Sports Injury Central (@SICscore) October 13, 2024
Without Olave or Rashid Shaheed (who is out for the season with a torn meniscus), veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. led the Saints with six receptions for 57 yards and a garbage-time touchdown against the Broncos.
However, there’s no real clear pecking order with Olave out. In Week 6, rookie fifth-rounder Bub Means earned nine targets, catching five for 45 yards and a touchdown. In addition, Mason Tipton had six catches for 45 yards in the Broncos game.
It’s really hard to truly put into context how riddled with injury the Saints are this season. They are currently without their QB1 Derek Carr, WR1 Olave, WR2 Shaheed, and TE1/gadget man Taysom Hill. All that has allowed defenses to sell out on Alvin Kamara, who is averaging 2.5 yards per rush his last three games.
Until Carr and Olave return, the Saints are a stay-away for fantasy purposes, apart from Kamara managers who have little choice but to continue hoping his volume results in some production.
