Saints rookie Chris Olave hasn't wasted any time showing his elite, play-making skillset, and the NFL has taken notice.
The former Ohio State Buckeye has been named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September. He was joined by Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd on the defensive side of the ball.
Olave's hot start really hit stride in Week 3, when he caught 9 passes for 147 yards in the Saints' loss to the Carolina Panthers. Through three weeks he leads all rookies in targets (29), catches (17) and receiving yardage (268).
He becomes just the fourth Saints player to win the award, joining Marques Colston (October, 2006), Reggie Bush (December, 2006) and Alvin Kamara (November, 2017).
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The 147 yards were the sixth highest-total by a rookie wide receiver in Saints history. His hot start also included a 5-catch, 80-yard performance in the Week 2 loss to the Bucs, as well as a 3-catch, 41-yard performance in his rookie debut that also included a pivotal 2-point conversion grab during the Saints' comeback win over the Falcons in Week 1.
And while he has a long way to go to potentially challenge the rookie receiving record set by former LSU star Ja'Marr Chase a season ago (1,455 yards), he's off to a start that leaves that discussion open. His average of 89.3 yards per game projects to 1,518 yards over 17 games if he were to sustain it. Through the first three weeks of Chase's record-setting 2021 campaign he had accounted for 220 yards on 16 catches. The Saints' rookie receiving record is held by Michael Thomas with 1,245 yards.
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Olave's next chance to show off in his rookie season will come overseas as the Saints face off with the Vikings in London, but he could be catching passes from a different quarterback. Jameis Winston has missed the first two days of practice as he works through back and ankle injuries. If he is unable to go, it would likely be backup Andy Dalton making his first start in a Saints uniform.