Chris Olave watched his former Ohio State teammate and fellow 2022 draftee Garett Wilson cash in on a big-money extension this offseason, but the Saints' young star has a more practical view.
After a year where he only appeared in 8 games and suffered his third and fourth diagnosed concussions since joining the NFL, the 25-year-old isn't afraid to look in the mirror when it comes to his NFL future.
“I’m not really worried about [a contract]," Olave said after the first day of training camp practice. "I mean, of course I want to stay here a long time, get an extension going, but just coming off the season I had, just out for the year, I’m not really looking at it right now. I feel like I’ve got to prove myself to be able to get that type of money or get that type of deal."
Olave returned to practice late in the 2024 season but never seemed particularly close to getting on the field. The first game he plays in this upcoming season will mark the first time he's seen a live rep of football since being carted off the field on a backboard after a brutal hit to the head early in a loss to the Panthers.
After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career, it felt like an eternity, Olave said, sitting on the sidelines and watching for the majority of 2025. He's now got the all clear from the doctors, and at this point the only hurdles remaining are mental. Olave said he doesn't plan to change the way he plays, besides the obvious.
"Just get down a little bit more, a little bit faster, but it ain’t changed my mindset," Olave said. "If I go out there nervous or go out there a little scared it’s going to make me play a little slower, make me play worse. I’m not really scared to get hit, I’m not scared to go over the middle. I’m not scared to do none of that."
To some degree those statements will have to be seen to be believed, but that doesn't mean there have been adjustments. Olave has continued to make tweaks to his protective gear, including another change into the top-rated helmet this year. He's changed his among other routine changes to prioritize brain health, but it's still unclear whether he'll don a Guardian cap in
games, added protection that NFL players now wear in all full-contact practices.
At the end of the day he's going to play his game, whether that's catching passes from Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough or Jake Haener, the three of whom are competing for the starting role. Olave has already flashed nice moments in camp, including a ball over the middle of the field from Rattler in 7-on-7 drills.
Olave will form an intriguing trio of speedy, smaller receivers along with Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks. There's been talk that the Saints might be in need of a bigger-bodied option, something that Olave and Co. are eager to show is not true.
"We all can play ball," Olave said. "We’re all really good receivers. We’re all trying to prove a point, each one of us, so we’re all working hard – we all worked hard this offseason to be able to get to this point, so like I said, we’ve all got a point to prove and we’re excited to go into the year.”
In the end, this is the season that will likely determine whether Olave lands that lucrative contract extension down the road to match Wilson's. The Saints have their former first-rounder under contract through next season by exercising the 5th year option. If things go the way Olave hopes, the conversation will be a lot less complicated this time next year.
"Just trying to make it obvious on the field every day, just trying to dominate everybody," Olave said. "be the best player on the field and go into the season and try to play every game, really, play 17 games, so it’s gonna be easy on them to make that decision when we get to the table.”
