Chris Olave, Saints have ‘clear communication’ despite trade rumors

Let’s be real, the New Orleans Saints haven’t exactly been setting the league on fire this season. A 1-6 record? Ouch. That kind of performance always stirs up the rumor mill, and this year is no different. Wide receiver Chris Olave, one of the bright spots on the team, has found himself smack-dab in the middle of trade talks. But don’t worry, Saints fans, Olave says he’s keeping his head up and focused.

Now, Olave isn’t glued to social media 24/7 (smart move, honestly), but he’s not living under a rock either. He knows what’s being said about him and running back Alvin Kamara possibly being on the trading block. "It’s all over the internet," he admitted last week. He gets it, though. When a team is struggling like the Saints are, names like his are bound to pop up as the trade deadline approaches on November 4th.

But here’s the thing: Olave seems pretty chill about the whole situation. He even sounded confident when talking to reporters about the possibility of sticking around in the Big Easy for the long haul. Apparently, he and the team have been chatting about a potential contract extension for months. And according to Olave, the communication between him and the club has been solid.

"That’s all I’m confident about. Clear communication. I see what’s going on. We’re on the same page," Olave said after the Saints’ tough 26-14 loss to the Chicago Bears. That’s good news, right? It suggests that even if other teams are sniffing around, the Saints value Olave and want to keep him in the fold.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis pretty much confirmed that teams have been calling about a few of their players. He didn’t name names, of course, but he did say that any trade decision would be made on a case-by-case basis. "We’ll look at each thing individually. We’ll discuss it," Loomis said during an interview. He also added that he’s not in the business of giving away good players unless the offer is simply too good to refuse. Which, let’s hope, no team can offer a "too good to refuse" offer for Olave.

The trade rumors even got the attention of Brandin Cooks, who, fun fact, was traded away from the Saints back in 2017 before returning this season. Cooks actually sought out Olave to give him some advice. He told Olave to focus on what he can control and not to get caught up in the noise.

Cooks’ advice was basically: "Hey, you can’t control what the front office does. But remember, it’s a compliment when teams are calling about you. It means you’re a top player in the league. So, focus on your game, work hard, and be the best you can be." Solid advice from a vet who’s been there before.

Being the Saints’ main receiving target hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Olave. Last season, after Michael Thomas was released, Olave really tried to embrace the role of the team’s number one receiver. He wanted to improve his contested catches and become a better blocker. He was really stepping up.

However, things took a turn when Olave suffered two concussions, one of which ended his 2024 season prematurely. The last concussion, his fourth known one in his NFL career, happened on November 3rd during a game against the Carolina Panthers. Olave was sandwiched between two defenders while trying to catch a pass, and it was a scary scene. He had to be taken off the field on a backboard and transported to the hospital. He didn’t play another snap that season.

That injury really put things in perspective for Olave. During his recovery, he consulted with concussion specialists and reflected on his future. He realized how lucky he was to be playing in the NFL.

"We’re blessed. It’s not a common job. You can look at the record, you look at the negative stuff, but at the end of the day we’re grateful to be healthy," Olave said. "Go out there and play for each other. I had a season-ending injury last year, so kind of changed my perspective on things. And even through the bad games, the good games, I’m just thankful to go out there and grateful to be able to have [that] opportunity."

Now that Olave is back and healthy, the spotlight is on him in 2025. He faced some criticism after dropping two passes in a Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots. He had 10 targets in that game, and he knows that with that kind of usage comes a higher standard.

"I feel like they all should have [been caught]. That’s how I look at it. I hold myself to the highest standards," Olave said. "Any ball that’s in my radius, I feel like I can catch. … At the end of the day, I feel like it’s all I work for. I worked so hard to be able to be in this position, to be able to get these main targeted games. Got to take advantage of it. When the ball comes my way, I’m going to be prepared."

Despite those mistakes, Olave believes he’s finding his groove one third of the way through the season. He had one of his best games of the season against the Bears, hauling in some tough catches and making some big plays.

"He stepped up and made some great contested catches, and I know there was a lot of talk about him last week and he just showed he’s still Chris, he’s a dog," Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler said. "So, we rely on him a lot and [we’ve] got full confidence in him."

Olave had 98 receiving yards in each of his past two games and scored the Saints’ only touchdowns against the Bears. One came two plays after a 57-yard bomb from Rattler in the final minute of the first half. The other kicked off the second half of the eventual loss, marking the first two-touchdown game of his career.

"CO played awesome in this game … made some big plays downfield, the two touchdowns, the explosive play downfield, the 50-plus yarder," Saints coach Kellen Moore said. "I thought he responded really, really well."

Through seven games, Olave has 44 catches for 440 yards and three touchdowns, surpassing last season’s marks of 32 catches for 400 yards and a touchdown. He’s clearly a key part of the Saints’ offense.

But while Olave has started to click, the team has been struggling in Moore’s first season. Their 1-6 start is their worst since 1999. And to make matters worse, the Saints recently learned they’ll be without center Erik McCoy and running back Kendre Miller for the rest of the season due to injuries.

The road ahead certainly won’t be easy, but Olave is hoping to build on the positives from the Chicago game, both for himself and for the team. And he’s trying his best to ignore the trade rumors swirling around him.

"That’s what I expect out of myself man. That’s just what everybody expects being the type of player I am," Olave said. "So I just got to build on it at this point. It’s terrible losing the game, being 1-6, but I feel like we had some good things in this game. I feel like we could build on that."

So, what does all this mean? It means that Chris Olave is aware of the trade rumors, but he’s not letting them distract him. He’s focused on improving his game, helping the Saints turn things around, and hopefully securing a long-term future in New Orleans. Whether or not the Saints decide to trade him remains to be seen, but for now, Olave is saying all the right things and seems committed to the team. Saints fans can only hope that commitment is mutual.