After falling to the Green Bay Packers 34-0 on Monday Night Football in Week 16, the New Orleans Saints are 5-10 and limping toward the finish line of the 2024 season.
What began as a hopeful campaign, including blowout victories in each of their first two games of the season, was quickly derailed for the Saints due to constant injuries, which has been a problem for them in recent years. recent seasons.
One member of the team that has been hit by the injury bug is wide receiver Chris Olave. Olave suffered a concussion during the Saints’ Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers. However, Olave could return for New Orleans’ Week 17 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Olave fully participated in training for two consecutive days, according to a practice report shared on Twitter/X by Ross Jackson of LouisianaSports.net.
Getting Olave back on the field would be important for the Saints, as he has caught 32 passes for 400 yards and a touchdown in the eight games he has played this season, making him New Orleans’ third-leading receiver behind Alvin Kamara and Juwan Johnson. .
While getting Olave back would be a small victory for the Saints, there are still plenty of other holes left by injuries that they need to account for, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback Derek Carr (left hand), running back Kamara (groin), center Erik McCoy (elbow) and guard Lucas Patrick (knee) all did not participate in practice. ‘other from the last two days. Additionally, tight end Johnson (foot) and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling have both been limited in practice so far this week.
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If Olave can take the field on Sunday, there may not be much support around him as the Saints offense is significantly disrupted.
Is it worth it for Chris Olave to play New Orleans’ final two games?
After missing seven games with a concussion, is it worth the risk for the Saints to put Olave back on the field this season? Olave suffered two concussions in the 2024 season alone and four total throughout his NFL career.
With the Saints eliminated from playoff contention, there’s no reason for Olave to rush his recovery and risk another concussion. New Orleans and Olave would benefit in the long run from having the star receiver return to the field too soon, especially since the Saints don’t have much to play for at this point anyway.
