New Orleans Saints injury update could pave way for Carolina Panthers' playoff berth

Chris Olave not playing gives the Atlanta Falcons an advantage.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) reacts after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers can get into the playoffs with a win. Beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second time in three weeks, and the NFC South title is theirs.

But if they can't come away victorious, they're not eliminated. Even at 8-9 and behind the Buccaneers, an Atlanta Falcons win on Sunday would render the Panthers the leader of the three 8-9 teams.

The Falcons and New Orleans Saints are matching up, and they're both on hot streaks. But the Saints just suffered a massive blow that could tilt the scales towards the Falcons, and as a result, the Panthers.

Chris Olave absence could help Panthers lock up NFC South

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) runs in a touchdown in front of Tennessee Titans cornerback Kemon Hall (40) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By the time the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints take the field on Sunday, this could all be moot. If the Carolina Panthers take care of business, that game won't matter.

But given how difficult the Panthers have been to predict, it's hard to say whether or not they will take care of business. And if they do not, all eyes will turn to the Falcons and Saints.

The Saints have won four in a row, and Chris Olave has been on fire during those games. He's got 27 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns. He will not play this weekend, though.

Chris Olave will be out for Week 18 after a blood clot was detected in his lung. It was caught early, before anything serious happened, and he’s expected to be fine. pic.twitter.com/ZXpqwjFIid

— theScore (@theScore) January 1, 2026

Fortunately, he's going to be just fine. He's reportedly been discharged from the hospital, he just won't play this weekend. The Falcons are coming off a game in which they had a really good pass defense against Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and the Los Angeles Rams.

The fact that they won't have to worry about Olave is significant. That should make things easier for Atlanta and Carolina if they can't beat the Buccaneers on Sunday.

We all desperately hope it doesn't come to that, especially because the Saints are rolling and that game is pretty hard to predict, too. But if it does, the Falcons seem to have a slight edge.

Olave has given the Panthers fits all year. He has 11 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the two games the Saints beat the Panthers. Both touchdowns came against Jaycee Horn, too.

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