Perhaps one of the most underrated storylines from the New Orleans Saints’ Week 10 17-7 win over the Carolina Panthers is the emergence of wide receiver Chris Olave. Much of the conversation since that game has centered around rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, and rightfully so. The young passer has instilled a level of confidence around the team in one game that hasn’t been seen in over a year or two in the Big Easy.
But along with the ascension of the young quarterback is the resurgence of a very important piece at wide receiver.
After the Saints traded away field-stretching wideout Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline, it was up to Olave to step up and show that he could contribute form all three levels of the field, something he expressed a desire to do going into the seasonl.
WR coach Keith Williams told us Friday that Chris Olave talked to him about not getting enough deep threat work.
With Shaheed now in Seattle, Olave should get every bit of what he was asking for in that area of the game.#Saints 10 – Panthers 7
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) November 9, 2025
Now that Olave is the focal point at receiver for the Saints, he has a special opportunity ahead of him. With seven games remaining and averaging 66.4 receiving yards per game so far this year, he has a chance to set his new career-high in the category.
His previous high was secured in his second year with 1,123 receiving yards. Right now, Olave is on pace to narrowly surpass that total with 1,129. But with an increased workload likely to follow the Shaheed trade, the fourth-year wideout is in position to quickly surpass his per-game totals through the first 10 contests.
Additionally, Olave’s career-high in receiving touchdowns is just five. With four already reeled in this year, he shouldn’t take long to surpass that personal best mark as well.
Olave’s production down the stretch will be a big storyline to watch going into the offseason. The Saints and Olave’s team have been actively engaged in contract extension negotiations. The better he performs to close out the year, the better that deal gets to look for him by the time those talks come to a conclusion.
