Chris

Olave

Underhill adds that Olave’s hamstring issue is not expected to be a “problem.” If this really is a non-issue, perhaps Olave just experienced cramping today and will be back out there on Friday, practicing in full. That said, soft tissue issues that pop up mid-week are typically not good. Saints No. 2 WR Devaughn Vele is worth adding if he is a free agent.

Olave was added to the injury report after not being on it at all on Wednesday. Saints reporter Mike Triplett said that Olave was spotted during the option portion of media practice. This is fairly concerning, though we have scant information on the injury at this point. Friday’s status will be enormous for Olave.

The Saints got off to a slow start and it looked like Olave, along with the rest of the offense, was going to have a bust of a fantasy day. Instead, Tyler Shough turned the corner in the third quarter and started peppering Olave with intermediate and deep shots. Olave had two gains of 40+ yards and four of 20+ yards. Olave gets another potential shootout next week when he takes on the Ravens. He will be in the WR1 mix.

Olave walked off under his own power with trainers. Saints coach Kellen Moore said Olave is “all good” and that he got the wind knocked out of him. We wouldn’t be surprised if he got a practice off, but there’s no cause for concern here.

The deal includes $90 million guaranteed. Olave, 26, ranked sixth in the NFL with 151 targets last year despite missing Week 18 due to blood clots in his lungs. He spent the offseason recovering and, aside from holding in yesterday, participating as much as possible. He was cleared to fully practice on Tuesday. He is a fantasy football WR1, playing in an ascending Saints offense.

Olave missed time during the offseason program while on blood thinners that were prescribed to treat a blood clot found in his lung at the end of the 2025 season. The fact that he wasn’t ready for the start of camp initially seemed concerning, but Moore made it relatively clear that health isn’t an issue. Olave is set to play out the final year of his rookie deal in 2026 and is more than deserving of a new contract. Coming off his second 1,100-yard season in the past three years, the Saints will likely find the money necessary to keep him around long-term before the start of the season.

Olave was on blood thinners after a blood clot was discovered in his lung prior to Week 18, and had been taking them throughout the offseason program. That’s all done. It’s hard to call Olave “safe” to draft due to the long-term concussion issues he’s dealt with, but he’s as good as he’s going to be. Olave said he felt a contract extension was going to happen “soon” in June, so that’s probably the next tidbit of news incoming on him before the season. Loomis said when asked of an extension that “We’re just not there yet” but “we want to get it done.”

Underhill compared Tyson’s best routes with Shough’s highest-targeted areas of the field and declared, “it’s the same diagram.” Coincidentally, Tyson’s route tree closely overlaps with that of No. 1 WR Chris Olave. Underhill believes that this dynamic will allow coach Kellen Moore to use Tyson and Olave interchangeably. They will both line up in the perimeter and in the slot. Underhill believes Olave will remain the team’s top pass catcher “for the near future,” but eventually both he and Tyson will work as two “top receivers.” Tyson missed most of spring practices with a hamstring injury, but Underhill said he will not worry about the issue unless Tyson misses training camp. Underhill closed the segment by saying a 55/700/5 receiving line on 90 targets is a “safe projection” for Tyson’s rookie season, though he believes Tyson is capable of doing more. The “safe” stat line equates to 155.0 PPR points and would have made him the WR40 last season.

Olave has been on blood thinners after a blood clot was discovered in his lung prior to Week 18 of last season, restricting the alpha wide receiver to individual drills up to this point in the offseason program. The good news is that he’s reportedly set to get off blood thinners in less than two weeks, after which he will look to gain clearance to return to unrestricted football activities. The veteran wide receiver is set to play the 2026 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, making the coming season of utmost importance to his future in New Orleans.

As a result, Olave has been held out of team drills thus far. Olave has reportedly looked great in individual drills, but apparently, he still has some limitations. His camp is also currently attempting to negotiate a long-term extension with the Saints’ front office. He said recently that he believes the two sides will come to an agreement before training camp begins next month. Olave largely assuaged health concerns by remaining active for much of the 2025 season and finishing sixth in the NFL with 151 targets. Hopefully, he can put this issue behind him soon enough. When the blood clot was initially discovered, New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill reported that the blood clot was “caught early before anything bad could happen” and that he will “be fine.” Olave showed up to offseason workouts in great shape, so it does not appear as though he was limited by the blood clot during the offseason.