Saints in talks to extend Chris Olave amid health risk

New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said Tuesday that the team is in active discussions on a contract extension with wide receiver Chris Olave. The talks come as Olave moves into the final year of his rookie contract following a 2025 season that set career-high statistical marks.

Loomis’ confirmation frames the negotiations as both a football and roster-planning decision. The Saints are weighing Olave’s production and role in the offense against recent medical concerns that have become a central part of the evaluation.

Health factors shaping the negotiation

Officials have pointed to Olave’s health history as a key element in the current deliberations. Loomis cited multiple concussions as well as a pulmonary embolism that kept Olave out of the final game of the 2025 season.

Those issues are being treated as material inputs in the extension process. While the Saints have signaled a desire to keep Olave in a leading role, the team is also assessing durability risk as it considers long-term financial commitments.

Cap planning, market value, and guarantees Despite the recent setbacks, the Saints have said Olave is cleared for a full workload during the upcoming summer training period. That clearance keeps the path open for a deal, but it does not eliminate the need to align medical risk with contract structure.

Any agreement would need to fit within the club’s longer-term salary cap approach while also reflecting Olave’s market value. Both sides have indicated an intent to reach an extension, according to the information provided, yet no contract has been completed so far.

The lack of a signed deal suggests at least one unresolved area remains. The open questions likely center on guaranteed compensation and specific provisions designed to address risk mitigation, as the parties try to bridge differences without changing the player’s projected importance to the offense.

Olave’s place in the Saints’ offense

The Saints have described Olave as a core piece of their offensive plan. The team’s willingness to extend him indicates a priority to retain a key target rather than allow the situation to drift into the final year of the rookie agreement without longer-term clarity.

For New Orleans, the outcome will reflect how the franchise balances roster continuity with medical uncertainty when committing future salary cap resources. For Olave, the talks are aimed at turning a career-best 2025 season into long-term security, while addressing concerns raised by the injuries that ended his season one game early.