Chris Olave knew exactly what he wanted to do in his return to Bank of America Stadium, and he delivered. That doesn't mean it was easy.
The Saints star WR said he had a normal week of practice, but when he stepped on the field for warmups ahead of the Week 10 matchup with the Panthers the anxiety hit hard. It was on that same field a year earlier that he took a hit to the head and had to be rushed to an area hospital. His season was over, career in jeopardy. The road back was long and difficult.
"I just felt it all again, I had a lot of anxiety pregame," Olave said after the Saints' 17-7 win over the Panthers. "There’s a lot of stuff going on. My close people knew what was going on, so they just stuck by my side and I appreciate them for all that.”
The hit last year ended Olave's season after nine games and it was his third diagnosed concussion of the season. There was a long process as he met with doctors to assess his NFL future, but he ultimately returned to practice late in the year and got back on the field for the first time this preseason. He's dealt with some minor injuries but has appeared in all 10 games to start the 2025 season.
Olave said he leaned on his teammates who helped him through those moments, and he was able to get up into the stands to chat with his father, who has been at all the games this season. Once the game started he was able to settle in quickly.
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"I just needed to get a couple plays, get comfortable back out there ... that’s what AK was talking about, just the first drive, just get out there, take a couple hits or just get acclimated into the game," Olave said. "I feel like that released everything, so just that helped me a lot.”
It likely didn't hurt that Olave's first catch of the game was a 62-yard touchdown bomb that marked the longest catch of his NFL career, after which he took a leap into the premium seating area where he celebrated surrounded by aggressively booing Panthers fans.
“They talking crazy over there," Olave said. "I heard them in my ear but I didn’t really look at them. They was booing me over there, I ain’t gonna lie.”
Olave finished off the game with a remarkable one-handed catch, and his 104 yards on the game marked his first time breaking into triple digits since his rookie season.