THE New Orleans Saints star receiver placed Chris Olave on injured reserve after suffering a concussion during the team’s Week 9 game against the Carolina Panthers.
Olave’s head injury was the receiver’s second in less than a month. He suffered a concussion during the team’s Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneersso the Saints cautiously approached his recovery.
As of week 14, Olave has one more week before he can return from IR. However, it is unclear if the Saints will activate it for their game against the Washington Commanders or even before the end of the season.
Here are the latest updates on Olave’s injury and status.
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Chris Olave injury update
Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi provided an update on Olave’s status during a press conference on Wednesday.
“I think one of the specialists [Olave] was going to be pushed back to next week,” Rizzi told reporters. “So no real update.”
Rizzi later added that the team would provide a more concrete update on Olave once that meeting took place. The 54-year-old coach also explained that Olave is in “good spirits” and that the wide receiver has been at Saints practice in recent weeks as he recovers from his second concussion of the season.
“It’s great to have him with us,” Rizzi said. “He’s helping some of these young receivers a lot, which is great to see. He’s in a much better position.”
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Is Chris Olave playing Week 14 against the Giants?
Olave won’t be back until their Week 14 matchup with the Giants. Rizzi hinted that the team would only make a decision regarding the 24-year-old’s status after meeting with a specialist, which will take place next week.
“We’re just going to wait for that to happen and then we’ll have an update,” Rizzi said.
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When will Chris Olave return?
There is no concrete timetable for Olave’s return. He is eligible to return as early as Week 15, but it appears the Saints will wait until he meets with a specialist before making a decision.
Olave’s potential return could depend on whether or not the Saints survive the NFC playoff race. The team is currently 4-8 but is just two games out of the standings. Atlanta Falcons and the Buccaneers in the NFC South standings.
A win against the Giants could prompt the Saints to activate Olave for Week 15 — if he gets the clearance. A loss could have New Orleans brainstorms thinking about next season while considering shutting down their star receiver, who suffered two concussions in 2024.
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Chris Olave Injury Update: When will Saints WR return?
