The New Orleans Saints will close out the season without their top receiving weapon.
Chris Olave will miss Week 18’s bout against the Atlanta Falcons after a blood clot was detected in his lung, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed, per sources informed of the situation.
Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football first reported the news.
Luckily, the blood clot was caught early. Underhill added that Olave is being discharged on Thursday and is doing well.
Olave’s season will end with 100 receptions, 1,163 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns, all career highs. He’s the first Saints player with 100-plus receptions post-Drew Brees retirement (last was Michael Thomas’ NFL record 149 in 2019).
The former first-rounder has found a groove with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, helping spearhead the Saints’ four-game winning streak. In the past two weeks, Olave generated 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
Olave enters 2026 set to play on the fifth-year option, worth $15.493 million. He is in line for a massive contract this offseason.
His absence will make life more difficult for Shough against a good Atlanta defense. The Saints-Falcons bout could have postseason implications. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win on Saturday, a Saints victory would send the Bucs to the postseason, while a Falcons win would give the division title to Carolina.