New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave
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Saints' wide receiver Chris Olave still hasn't received full clearance as he works his way back from a blood clot
The New Orleans Saints are entering the 2026 campaign with a renewed sense of optimism. While they didn’t exactly have a great 2025 season, they finished the year with a strong run of play, and there’s reason to believe they can improve when they return to action. Of course, in order to do so, it would help to have star wide receiver Chris Olave.
Injuries have plagued Olave early in his career, and after dealing with concussion issues in 2024, he made a triumphant return for New Orleans last season. However, ahead of Week 18, Olave was diagnosed with a blood clot, forcing him to miss the final game of the campaign. And while he has made progress in his recovery from this scary ailment, he has received a concerning update on his status.
Chris Olave Not Fully Cleared for Return from Blood Clot Issue
The Saints selected Olave with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and when he’s been on the field, he’s been one of the best wide receivers in the league. Olave immediately earned a fourth-place finish in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race in 2022, and he took another step forward in 2023, as he set career-highs across the board (87 REC, 1,123 YDS, 5 TD).
Olave played in only eight games in 2024, and after dealing with a slew of concussion issues, folks wondered whether he’d ever return to the field for the Saints. He puts those concerns to rest by turning in the best season of his career for New Orleans in 2025 (100 REC, 1,163 YDS, 9 TD), as he earned a spot on the All-Pro Second Team.
The aforementioned blood clot once again threw Olave’s status up in the air. The good news is that Olave seems to have avoided any sort of serious issues that could have flared up as a result of this development, but he still hasn’t been fully cleared to return to action for New Orleans, which is worth monitoring as the 2026 season draws near.
“Chris Olave is still waiting for full clearance from the blood clot he suffered late last season,” Matthew Paras wrote for Nola.com. “The New Orleans Saints wide receiver did not participate in the OTAs session Wednesday, marking the second straight week that the 25-year-old was absent. Asked about Olave’s status, coach Kellen Moore said that the wideout’s workload was being monitored due to the unexpected clot.”
Saints Playing Things Safe with Chris Olave
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DECEMBER 21: Chris Olave #12 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates after a receiving touchdown against the New York Jets in the fourth quarter of a game at Caesars Superdome on December 21, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Considering how serious blood clots can be, New Orleans is obviously going to play things safe when it comes to Olave’s health. Beyond that, he has also dealt with a slew of other injury issues throughout his career, which is another reason to exercise caution here. And for now, the team has the time needed to ease Olave back into the fold.
If all goes according to plan, Olave will be on the field with the rest of his Saints teammates for Week 1. The fact that he hasn’t gotten full clearance yet is a bit worrying, but there’s still a lot of time for him to get back up to speed. Olave’s status will be worth monitoring, but it’s too early for the team and its fans to become genuinely concerned about his status.