Has Chris Olave already caught his last pass with the New Orleans Saints this season? It’s certainly possible. The standout wide receiver suffered two concussions in his first eight games and was put on injured reserve, and there’s currently no timetable for him to return to the field. At least not in pads and a helmet. Olave was spotted at the Saints practice facility this week spectating and dapping up teammates, but he’s not ready to run routes and take on contact.
Interim head coach Darren Rizzi shared an update on Olave’s status after practice on Tuesday.
“He’s still going through that whole process. He’s met with a bunch of people, he’s got another meeting coming up here next week. He’s met with some different specialists throughout the country,” Rizzi said, adding that Olave had another specialist visit lined up later this week. “He’s in a good place.”
The soonest Olave could return is Week 15’s home game with the Washington Commanders (which would set him up for a matchup with his former teammate Marshon Lattimore), but that might be overly ambitious. Rizzi emphasized that Olave’s wellbeing, not his availability on the field, is the greater concern here. A rapid series of brain injuries like this can have serious, lifelong implications.
“Him and I the last couple days had great conversations. He’s feeling a lot better. With that kind of injury, you just want to make sure you’re doing the right thing by the person,” Rizzi continued, “We’ll have a lot more information on him next week.”
So we’ll see if Olave returns this year, but it’s clear his coach won’t be rushing him back into action. That’s the right approach. If Olave decides to put his body in harm’s way again, that’s his decision to make. Kudos to Rizzi and the team for recognizing that.
