Saints’ Chris Olave deserved comeback player recognition

Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

By Ross Jackson

While winning the award would have rightfully been a long shot, the omission of New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave from the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year finalist list seems like a miss.

Olave suffered a series of head injuries that, not only cut his 2024 season short at eight games, but threatened his career.

“It was a tough time last year,” Olave said after his Week 16 career-best performance. ”I was only 24-years-old contemplating retirement. Especially with the head injuries. But I prayed about it. My close family was around me. They stuck by my side and I just gave it another try, another chance and it’s been a great year.”

He returned from those injuries in 2025 and put up career numbers across the board. His 100 catches, 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions were all the best of his four seasons in the league thus far.

He capped off that performance with an end-of-year recognition as a Second-Team All-Pro wide receiver.

That includes a trio of games, before missing Week 18 after a blood clot was discovered in his lung, at the end of the year in which he averaged better than 113 receiving yards and reeled in four touchdown catches despite being the lone top option at the receiver spot.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey should absolutely take home the award. There’s very little ability to argue that. But for Olave to be left off of the finalist list of five candidates is representative of either oversight or an incredibly strong field of contenders for the award.