Saints-Jets Trade Idea Sees New Orleans Cut Ties With 24-Year-Old Star

The Jets would have to pay a massive haul...

Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) reacts to a play in the final minute of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

It doesn't seem like the New Orleans Saints have any interest right now in trading away wideout Chris Olave.

That hasn't stopped most analysts from arguing that they should at least consider doing so.

Olave, 24, is entering the final year of his original rookie contract, but the Saints picked up his $15 million fifth-year option for 2026. He's proven to be a reliable 1,000-yard target when healthy, but repeated concussions are becoming a major concern.

With the Saints likely headed for a losing season, there's certainly an argument to be made that recouping draft value for Olave soon is the best course of action. And one football writer believes there's an ideal landing spot out there.

On Saturday, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report proposed a hypothetical fit for Olave and the New York Jets, given that the wideout's Ohio State teammates, quarterback Justin Fields and Garrett Wilson, are prominent Jets offensive starters.

"The cold reality is that the Saints probably should blow things up and rebuild from the ground up. And at some point soon, the team is going to have to decide whether or not to hand a lucrative extension to a wide receiver who has an alarming history of suffering concussions in the NFL," Davenport wrote.

"As it happens, Wilson and Fields also played collegiately in Columbus. In fact, they all played together. In 2019, Olave averaged over 17 yards a catch and scored 12 touchdowns catching passes from Fields."

The Saints would be threadbare on offense if they traded Olave, and that would create a difficult situation for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. But as the third QB taken in a weak draft class, there's reason to doubt Shough is the long-term solution anyways.

This might all prove irrelevant if Olave stays put, but the Saints not trading him could just as easily be looked back upon as an organizational failure.

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