Oct 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) runs with the ball after making a catch against Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Saints' Chris Olave Linked To Surprise AFC Contender

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Oct 20, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have a receiver on the roster capable of being a No. 1 option in Chris Olave. But, his long-term future in New Orleans is murky, at the very least right now.

There have been trade rumors about him for weeks. So much so that he acknowledged the noise and talked about how he has spoken with New Orleans' front office about the buzz.

Reports surfaced on Sunday that the Saints and Olave have discussed a long-term contract extension, but a deal hasn't gotten done at this time. Olave talked about the reports after the team's Week 7 loss against the Chicago Bears and shared that conversations have been ongoing since the beginning of the year.

If the Saints can get an extension done, that would be great. But, with the trade deadline approaching on November 4th, it'll be interesting to see if the Saints opt to move on if a deal hasn't been struck by then. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston to talk about the New England Patriots and floated Olave as a target for them if New Orleans considers a deal.

The Saints have a tough decision to make with Chris Olave

"My understanding is that their approach is going to be to take a long-term view of this whole thing," Breer said of the Patriots' trade deadline plans. "I think you have to put these into two buckets. Right? Short-term vs. long-term. I think if there is a short-term buy here for them, it's going to be more of a depth piece...Then you get to the long-term bucket.

"This is where I think you'd be looking at guys that might mirror the opportunity they were looking at a year ago in Brandon Aiyuk where you can bring in a guy that can help you now and also be a building block for you going forward. Who could that be? Maybe a Chris Olave in New Orleans. Maybe a Jordan Addison in Minnesota. Guys that are nearing the end of their rookie deals and their teams like the player, but maybe don't plan to sign them long-term."

Olave has started to break through over the last two games with 98 receiving yards each in Week 7 and Week 6 to go along with 11 total catches across the two games. Overall, Olave has 44 catches for 440 yards and three touchdowns. He's on pace for over 100 catches and 1,000 yards. The Saints absolutely should find a way to get an extension done, because if not, the trade noise is only going to get louder over the next few weeks.

The Patriots are a team that seemingly has come out of nowhere this season. New England won four games last year and now is 5-2 and in first place in the AFC East and actually has the No. 2 seed in the AFC overall through seven weeks. Landing someone like Olave would obviously help their case, but the Saints should keep him instead.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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