NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports Chris Olave will miss Week 18 against the Falcons after a blood clot was detected in his lung.
Per Underhill, the blood clot was “caught early before anything bad could happen and will be fine.” That is a major relief. The hope will be that this issue doesn’t affect his offseason routine, but the worst-case scenario is already off the table. Olave’s fourth season comes to an end with 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. All three of those marks are career-highs. He finished the fantasy football season as the WR6. Olave has always been a good target-earner, but he hit a new level in 2025, logging a 30 percent target share despite needing to develop chemistry with two quarterbacks throughout the year. Both Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, who can be penciled in as the team’s starter for 2026, locked in on Olave and never looked back. Assuming this health scare passes, Olave will enter his fifth season as a low-end WR1 in early fantasy drafts.