PHOENIX — The New Orleans Saints are attempting to sign wide receiver Chris Olave to a long-term contract extension, coach Kellen Moore said Tuesday.
Moore, speaking at the NFL owners’ meetings, said the effort has continued after the two sides talked during the season. An agreement has yet to be reached, and Olave is entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract after New Orleans picked up his fifth-year option.
“There’s conversations and that’s what this time of year is all about,” Moore said. “That’s obviously the business side of this thing that inevitably comes up. … It’s just about a working relationship for everyone, what works best for everyone and find a good situation.
“We know we love Chris and we’re excited about his future.”
Olave is in a position to get paid after a career season. The 25-year-old hauled in 100 catches for 1,163 yards in 16 games, bouncing back following an injury-plagued 2024. That year, Olave dealt with several concussions — including one that ended his season in November and caused him to contemplate retirement. The Saints and Olave were proud of the wide receiver’s resilience, and now he’s set to cash in.
The wide receiver market, too, has exploded. Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168 million contract last week, months after the Jets’ Garrett Wilson inked a four-year, $130 million deal. Nine receivers now have an average salary of $30 million annually, and three make more than $35 million per year.
“These timelines are all different,” Moore said when asked if there’s a benefit in getting Olave extended in the earlier part of the offseason. “I think it’s hard to try and say everyone has to follow the same timelines. There are a lot of conversations, a lot of variables that go into those things. … We’ll just continue to keep working through that.”
Olave has said he wants to remain with the Saints. The former 2022 first rounder is also recovering from a blood clot that caused him to miss the final game of the season, but Moore said he believes the wide receiver is doing well.
“This is their offseason so we’re not around these guys every day, but he’s awesome,” Moore said.