Saints Sound Committed To Chris Olave For Long Haul

The New Orleans Saints traded one of their top wide receivers away ahead of the trade deadline, but opted against cutting ties with Chris Olave.

Early on, Olave was someone who was in rumors and mock trades left and right. But, as the deadline got closer, reports surfaced throwing cold water on the idea of a trade. It was also reported that the Saints and Olave had discussed a contract extension, which he confirmed himself.

Despite all of the noise out there, the Saints held true and didn't deal Olave away and it sounds like general manager Mickey Loomis doesn't want to let him go anytime soon, as shared by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate's Matthew Paras.

"Teams also checked in on Olave," Paras said. "By keeping him, was that a sign the Saints are optimistic they can reach a long-term extension with the wide receiver? Olave said last month that the team approached his camp about a new contract. 'He’s under contract for this year and next year already, and then we’ll have rights,' Loomis said to Paras. 'So he’s a really good player, and we want to keep our really good players.'"

It sounds like Chris Olave isn't going anywhere anytime soon

Oct 12, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) misses a touchdown pass under pressure from New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) during the second quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Saints as a franchise certainly are at a crossroads and are right in the middle of a tricky time. New Orleans went 5-12 last year and finished tied for last place in the NFC South. Right now, the Saints are 1-8 and in last place in the division and the NFC in general.

The rest of the season is going to be important, specifically for developmental purposes. Do the Saints have a quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough? Who else could the Saints keep around as a core member into the future? Is Kellen Moore the guy for the job? There are a lot of questions out there for the Saints.

One thing that shouldn't be a question any longer is Olave's standing with the team. The Saints didn't trade him and Loomis specifically talked about him as a player for next year and beyond based on having his "rights," which could be in reference to the franchise tag.

Olave is a core member for the team. Now, it's a matter of figuring else who else is.

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