After leaving the Saints’ Week 9 matchup against the Panthers with a head injury, wide receiver Chris Olave has been sidelined and recovering from a concussion.
New Orleans officially ruled Olave out for its Week 10 game against the Falcons. However, because the receiver has an extensive concussion history compared to most NFL players, his playing status moving forward will likely be an extremely delicate situation — not unlike the caution the Dolphins recently had to take in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s return to the field.
Olave is out for the time being, but with the extra care that needs to be applied to head injuries, recent reports also detailed that he’ll be seeing specialists about his concussion history and how it could impact his football career.
Will Olave retire from the NFL after another concussion? Here’s the latest news on the wide receiver’s health, plus the details to know about Olave’s concussion history.
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Will Chris Olave retire?
Outside of his “out” status for Week 10, there has not been further information on Olave’s long-term status or if he’s considering retirement, let alone when he could be back on the field for the Saints.
Olave will consult with specialists after he sustained another concussion against Carolina, per ESPN. Olave took a massive hit from safety Xavier Woods in the game and was taken to a local hospital in Charlotte to be evaluated.
After being released from the hospital, Olave flew home with the rest of the Saints team.
New Orleans interim head coach Darren Rizzi said Wednesday that they’re taking Olave’s head injury “day by day” and that “everything’s on the table” for the wide receiver.
“He wants to go thoroughly through the process and making sure he’s making the best decision for Chris Olave, removing football from that equation. … What’s the best decision for the person?” Rizzi said, per ESPN.
“So, my conversations with him and our medical staff, we’ve been thorough and his family’s going to be thorough with the process. I completely support that. I have five kids of my own, and if that was one of my kids, I would want to do the same thing.”
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Chris Olave concussion history
The injury that Olave sustained against the Panthers in Week 9 is the fourth official concussion of his NFL career. It’s also his second of the 2024 season.
Olave, who was drafted 11th overall out of Ohio State in the 2022 NFL Draft, sustained his first NFL concussion in his rookie season. However, he did already have a history of head injuries by that point, as he dealt with a concussion in 2020 while with the Buckeyes.
Olave sustained another concussion in 2023, then missed some time earlier this season after sustaining a head injury against the Buccaneers. Outside of his concussion history and a minor ankle injury in December 2023, Olave’s managed to stay relatively healthy in the NFL. He’s missed just four of New Orleans’ games throughout his three-year career.
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