Saints' Chris Olave Reportedly Being Eyed by AFC Team

The New Orleans Saints are a team that can make some noise in 2026 in the NFC South and because of that should be in the market to add big-name pieces, not subtract. That won't stop other teams from asking around, though.

On Wednesday, Jared Mueller of Dawgs By Nature, an outlet focused on the Cleveland Browns under the SB Nation umbrella, reported from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that Saints receiver Chris Olave is someone on the Browns' trade radar.

"Chris Olave is an example of that and is back on the Browns trade radar," Mueller wrote. "The impact of podcasts is wildly obvious this year, as Radio Row has almost tripled from the last few years. As a medium, writing is still highly valued, but the continued push toward more audio and video content, which can be consumed while also doing a myriad of other things, meant I was highly confused walking into a room that hasn’t changed much in the last, maybe, five years, to see that Radio Row now takes up almost half of it.

No need for concern, Saints fans

Dec 28, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

"It will be interesting to see how many are still in attendance by Friday. My guess is it will be a ghost town. Did you like how I slipped that Olave note in there and moved on quickly? I’m sure you didn’t miss it."

With the combine here, there have been endless rumors and reports coming out of Indianapolis. When it comes to the Browns and Olave, maybe they do like him. But that doesn't really matter right now. Olave is under contract for the 2026 season and is the team's No. 1 receiver.

Olave has made it clear that he's open to a long-term extension to stick around in New Orleans beyond his current deal.

"Man, it helps a lot," Olave said after the season wrapped up about having stability in New Orleans. "I feel like the first couple of years it was hard to be able to say that I was stable. It helps a lot with the bigger picture. It makes me want to stay here even more. I know what's going to be here with Kellen. Tyler's, like I said, a great quarterback, and that's probably the main two things you need as a receiver. So, it makes me want to get that contract done even more and hopefully it happens soon."

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was asked about the idea of an Olave extension and noted conversations have been had, but wouldn't go into the extent.

"Chris is obviously an important player to us and had a really good season, but we haven’t really spent much time thinking about that right now," Loomis said. "We’ve had a couple conversations with his agent, but ... that’ll be part of this offseason. I can’t tell you how high it is or low it is (as a priority). I don’t have the whole list yet."

Olave was floated as a trade candidate ahead of the trade deadline when New Orleans was struggling. At that point, a deal could've made sense. The perception around the franchise shifted when Tyler Shough took over as the team's starting quarterback. It's no surprise to hear that a team around the league may be interested in the young playmaker; 31 other teams would be fortunate to have him. But that doesn't mean Loomis is picking up the phone and at this point it would be a significant shock if Olave is playing anywhere else in 2026.