The New Orleans Saints will end the season without their best receiving weapon.
Chris Olave will miss the Week 18 game against the Atlanta Falcons after a blood clot was diagnosed in his lung, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport confirmed, according to sources briefed on the situation.
Nick Underhill from New Orleans. Football first reported the news.
Fortunately, the clot was caught early. Underhill added that Olave was discharged on Thursday and is doing well.
Olave’s season ends with a career high of 100 receptions, 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. He is the first Saints player with 100-plus receptions since the retirement of Drew Brees (the last NFL record was Michael Thomas’ 149 in 2019).
The former first-round pick has found a groove with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and helped lead the Saints’ four-game winning streak. Over the past two weeks, Olave had 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
Olave enters 2026 and plans to play on the fifth-year option, worth $15.493 million. He is going to get a big contract this season.
His absence will make life more difficult for Shoough against a good Atlanta defense. The Saints-Falcons battle could have postseason implications. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win on Saturday, a Saints win would send the Bucs to the postseason, while a Falcons win would give the division title to Carolina.