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Chris Olave

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 25th, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM)
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM)
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM)
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM)
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM)
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM)
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Likely to be declined
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($17.6MM): Exercised
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Likely to be declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM)
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM)
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM)
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM)
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM)
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): To be exercised
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Saints To Exercise Chris Olave’s Fifth-Year Option, Decline Trevor Penning’s

April 23rd, 2025 at 12:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints maneuvered to make two first-round picks in 2022. One has worked out, the other has not. As a result, Mickey Loomis said Wednesday the team will only pick up one fifth-year option from that first-round haul.

Chris Olave‘s contract will now run through 2026 (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), but Trevor Penning will be thrown into a contract year by virtue of New Orleans declining his fifth-year option.

Yet to make a Pro Bowl, Olave has also seen his 2025 concussion issues impede him on the fifth-year option front. The Ohio State product failed to hit a 75% snap share in his first two seasons, but had he played at least 50% of New Orleans’ offensive snaps last year, he would have still found his way onto the third tier on the option structure. By missing nine games in 2024, Olave will land on the bottom tier here. That will place his 2026 base salary at $15.49MM.

Penning also lands on the bottom tier, which is $16.69MM for offensive linemen. Considering Penning’s uneven first three seasons, he was never a realistic candidate to see his option exercised. While Loomis stressed (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) this does not mean the Saints do not have confidence in their 2024 right tackle starter, this does move him into a walk year.

Chosen out of Northern Iowa, Penning has been tried at LT and RT. The Saints displaced him from the blind side by drafting Taliese Fuaga in last year’s first round. While Penning did bounce back from 2022 injury trouble and a 2023 benching to make 17 RT starts, he has not justified the Saints’ No. 19 overall investment.

As the Saints are being connected to another first-round tackle pick — as they consider acquiring a quarterback in Round 2 or a via a trade-up move from that No. 40 spot — they will hope Olave and Rashid Shaheed can stay healthy in 2025. Olave has shown difference-making potential when on the field, working with Andy Dalton and Derek Carr. The 2022 No. 11 overall pick, who acquired two trades to land that year, posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his career but sustained two concussions last year. This shut down Olave to close what turned into a lost Saints season.

The young WR talent spoke with specialists, and the Saints exercising his option points to organizational confidence he can shake this concerning issue. The Saints may be on the lookout for more receiving help in the draft, but they did reunite with Brandin Cooks in free agency. Olave will be asked to lead the team’s first Kellen Moore-overseen receiving corps, with Cooks and Shaheed in clear supporting roles.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Brooks, Saints

January 30th, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the post-Super Bowl LV offseason showed and last year reaffirmed, the Buccaneers are high on retaining talent. Those waves of re-signings and extensions involved numerous core players staying, and last year’s effort included Mike Evans re-signing on a third contract. Evans’ deal preceded the Bucs drafting Jalen McMillan in the third round. Tasked with a bigger role after Chris Godwin‘s season-ending ankle injury, McMillan impressed down the stretch — to the point the Bucs could use a rookie-contract wideout to replace their longtime WR2. But it does not appear Tampa Bay has given up on keeping their long-running wideout tandem intact.

Multiple execs informed ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler they expect the Bucs to attempt to re-sign Godwin, who played out a three-year, $60MM deal. Tampa Bay had twice franchise-tagged Godwin, giving him an extension in 2022, but has seen him suffer two major injuries. Then again, the Bucs re-upped the talented Evans sidekick — the second-leading receiver in franchise history — months after an ACL tear. Godwin, 28, would stand to have a nice market if he hit free agency for the first time. The Bucs have until March 10 to prevent that, but the team has also done very well — as the Shaquil Barrett, Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean deals show — to re-sign players even if they do test the market.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • After Liam Coen avoided contact with Bucs brass during his secret negotiations with the Jaguars, a report indicated Tampa Bay was unlikely to do its former OC any favors regarding assistant coaches. The Bucs are not prepared to let contracted staffers follow Coen to Jacksonville, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team blocked O-line coach Kevin Carberry from interviewing for the same position with the Jags. Carberry worked with Coen in Los Angeles and came to Tampa last year, but unless a promotion to OC would be in the offing, the Bucs can block interview requests involving assistants.
  • Jonathon Brooks re-tore the right ACL he injured in college, and the Panthers running back is not expected to be ready to start the 2025 season. The 2024 second-round pick may not factor prominently into that campaign. Brooks underwent surgery last week, per The Athletic’s Joe Person, who adds the Panthers hope the running back would be ready to return before season’s end. A definitive timeline is not yet in place, but Carolina will not be expecting an Adrian Peterson-like recovery from a player who now has sustained two ACL tears since November 2023. It took Brooks until November 24 to debut for the Panthers. He suffered the latest tear Dec. 8. Two years of Brooks’ four-year rookie contract figure to be dominated by missed time.
  • Chris Olave suffered two concussions during the season; the second knocked him out for the Saints‘ eight games. The former first-round pick visited specialists, and while he did not don a game uniform again, he did return to practice. Olave said he is now symptom-free, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, and ready for a full offseason. That represents good news for a Saints team searching for a new head coach. One year remains on Olave’s rookie contract, though the Saints can extend it through 2025 by exercising the Ohio State alum’s fifth-year option by May.
  • Cam Jordan wants to play a 15th NFL season, but something might have to give in order for that to happen. The Saints used Jordan as an inside defender on 22.7% of his snaps last season, Terrell notes, and Jordan wants to come back exclusively as a D-end. The decorated sack artist’s production has declined in recent years. After totaling at least 7.5 sacks every season from 2012-22, Jordan registered four in 2024 — after a two-sack 2023. Jordan is due a $12.5MM base salary in his contract year, but as one of the many Saints prior restructures, this contract contains four void years. It would cost New Orleans $23.9MM in dead money to dump Jordan ahead of his age-36 season.

Saints’ Chris Olave Returns To Practice; Alvin Kamara’s Season Could Be Over

December 19th, 2024 at 4:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints are set to swap offensive playmakers in the coming weeks, with Chris Olave returning to practice from injured reserve and Alvin Kamara potentially out for the season with a groin injury.

Olave was cleared by a concussion specialist on Tuesday, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, more than a month after he was hospitalized after a scary hit by Panthers safety Xavier Woods. Olave has been on injured reserve since November 9, but is set to play again this season after initial uncertainty surrounding his injury.

Kamara picked up a groin injury in Week 15 against the Commanders, and head coach Darren Rizzi told media on Thursday that the injury was more severe than originally though (via Underhill). Not only is the five-time Pro Bowler expected to miss Monday’s game against the Packers, he may also be out for the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

If Kamara’s season is indeed over, he will still finish with a career-high 950 rushing yards as one of the few bright spots in the Saints’ 5-9 season. He signed a two-year, $24.5MM extension in October that will keep him in New Orleans through 2026.

Olave, meanwhile, had an up-and-down season that has not included the same consistent production as his first two years in the NFL. After nine touchdowns and 2,165 yards (69.8 yards per game) in 2022 and 2023, he’s scored just once this year with an average of 50.0 yards per game. His efficiency has actually increased, with a career-high 72.7% catch rate, 65.9% success rate, and 9.1 yards per target.

Saints WR Chris Olave Expected To Land On IR, May Be Done For Season

November 9th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Chris Olave may have already played his last snap of the 2024 campaign. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints wide receiver is expected to land on injured reserve today. Olave suffered a concussion in Week 9 and was already ruled out for tomorrow’s game against the Falcons. Olave will now be out for at least the next four games.

[RELATED: Saints’ Chris Olave Visiting Concussion Specialists]

As we learned earlier this week, Olave is set to visit specialists as he determines his future in the NFL. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football says the “expectation” is that Olave won’t play again during the 2024 campaign. Rapoport echos that sentiment, citing the nature of the injury, Olave’s impending visits with specialists, and the Saints’ unlikely chances of making the postseason.

This latest concussion marks the second time this season that Olave has dealt with a brain injury, continuing a troubling trend for the wideout. The 2022 first-round pick also dealt with concussions in each of his first two seasons, and this latest occurrence prompted meetings with specialists. When Olave returned to the field in Week 8 following a one-game absence, he was sporting a new helmet, although the player opted against wearing a Guardian Cap.

As Olave navigates his latest concussion, it sounds like the Saints are opting to play it safe with their young star. Following a 2-0 start, the Saints are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak, leading to Dennis Allen‘s firing earlier this week. With fellow wideout Rashid Shaheed having already been lost for the season, the Saints receivers room will be down to the likes of veterans Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, plus UDFAs Mason Tipton and Jermaine Jackson.

Saints Place Chris Olave On IR, Activate Shane Lemieux, Will Harris

November 9th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have officially placed Chris Olave on injured reserve. The third-year wideout will miss at least the first four games as a result, although his availability for the remainder of the season is in question.

Olave is dealing with his second concussion of the season, which also represents his fourth in less than three full campaigns in the NFL. The 24-year-old’s visits with specialists will determine his next steps, but for at least the immediate future he will be unavailable to the 2-7 Saints as they begin life with Darren Rizzi as head coach. New Orleans has already lost fellow WR starter Rashid Shaheed for the season.

Olave is under contract through 2025 as things stand, but his fifth-year option for the following season could be exercised this spring. A decision on that front – or any approach with respect to a long-term extension, of course – will be dictated in large part by the Ohio State product’s prognosis. Given how far the Saints are from postseason contention along with the long-term approach being taken by team and player, attention will increasingly turn toward Olave’s Week 1 availability in 2025.

New Orleans will have a pair of returnees in the lineup for Week 10, however. The team also announced on Saturday that offensive lineman Shane Lemieux has been activated from IR. The 27-year-old took over as the first-team option at center once Erik McCoy was injured; McCoy has been ruled out for tomorrow’s contest, so Lemieux could reprise that role now that he is healthy. If not, he will be an option in the middle but also at guard as the Saints look to establish a consistent lineup along the O-line to close out the year.

Safety Will Harris has also been activated from IR. A hamstring injury led him to injured reserve roughly one month ago, interrupting his debut campaign in New Orleans. Harris started each of his five appearances prior to going down, serving in a first-team role after he did so during parts of his five-year Lions tenure. Harris, 28, will look to aid a defense which ranks 27th against the pass this season.

These moves will leave the Saints with five IR activations on the year. Bringing Olave back into the fold at some point would lower that figure, but it appears signficant progress will need to be made in his recovery for that to become a consideration.

Saints’ Chris Olave Visiting Concussion Specialists; IR Under Consideration

November 8th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

10:08pm: Rizzi said on Friday a move to injured reserve is under consideration in Olave’s case (h/t Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football). That would ensure at least a four-game absence and allow for an extended period of further evaluation and recovery similar to how the Dolphins proceeded with Tua Tagovailoa earlier in the year. The Saints – who have officially ruled Olave out for Week 10 – currently have seven IR return slots available for the rest of the season.

9:54am: Chris Olave was knocked out of the Saints’ Week 9 game with his latest concussion. The third-year wideout was quickly discharged from hospital after the injury, but he and the team are taking a slow approach to his recovery process.

Olave was diagnosed with one concussion in each of his first two seasons in the league. In 2024, he has dealt with two more brain injuries, a concerning trend for his short- and long-term health. The 24-year-old is meeting with specialists in the wake of his latest concussion, as detailed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

“He wants to go thoroughly through the process and making sure he’s making the best decision for Chris Olave, removing football from that equation… What’s the best decision for the person?” interim head coach Darren Rizzi said. “So, my conversations with him and our medical staff, we’ve been thorough and his family’s going to be thorough with the process. I completely support that.”

Olave changed helmets after his first concussion of the season to a model designed for better protection against further brain trauma. He considered wearing a Guardian Cap upon return, but elected not to do so. Regardless of if his stance on that front changes, the Ohio State product’s ability to remain on the field once he receives clearance will be a key storyline for the Saints. New Orleans is without wideout Rashid Shaheed for the remainder of the campaign, so having Olave back in the near future would be crucial for the team’s passing attack down the stretch.

With the Saints sitting at 2-7 on the year, however, the long-term outlook for his injury status is of course much more important. Olave will be eligible for an extension this offseason, and a decision on his 2026 fifth-year option will need to be made during the spring. The former No. 11 pick will be in line for $16.63MM that year if his option gets picked up, and a long-term deal would require a signficant investment on the Saints’ part if they were to commit to a second contract in this case.

Olave topped 1,000 yards as a rookie, averaging 14.5 yards per catch. He took on a larger target share last year, increasing his catch, yardage and touchdown totals along the way. Expectations therefore remain high for the rest of 2024 and beyond, but for the time being attention will remain focused on the outcome of his medical evaluations.

Saints’ Chris Olave Suffers Concussion

November 3rd, 2024 at 7:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

7:25pm: Olave has since been released from hospital, per a team announcement. He took to social media Sunday afternoon to relay he is OK, another positive sign. Still, a fourth concussion in less than three full seasons of play certainly represents a worrying development for team and player.

2:41pm: Chris Olave has already missed one game this season with a concussion, and he is now facing the same injury. The third-year Saints wideout took a hard during Sunday’s contest against the Panthers.

Olave was the target of an incomplete pass over the middle, and he took a hard hit from safety Xavier Woods. Olave was ultimately placed on a backboard and carted off the field before quickly being ruled out with another concussion. The 24-year-old has since been taken to a local hospital, and the CBS broadcast notes he is alert with strong vital signs (h/t team reporter Erin Summers).

During his rookie season, the 2022 No. 11 pick suffered a concussion; he also missed time for that reason last year. In Week 6 of the current campaign, Olave suffered another concussion and was held out of the lineup for the following contest. Now, his time out of the lineup for brain injuries will continue with a Week 10 absence also being likely.

Olave had a strong showing in his debut season, topping 1,000 yards and averaging 14.5 yards per reception. Last season, the Ohio State product took a step forward with a statline of 87-1,123-5. That led to high expectations entering 2024, and Olave has served as New Orleans’ top receiver when healthy. His availability will be key moving forward since Rashid Shaheed is out for the year, an injury which prompted the recent signing of Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Upon returning from his first 2024 concussion, Olave said he gave thought to wearing a Guardian Cap, which he ultimately did not. It will be interesting to see if that approach changes once he is back on the field. In any case, the 2-6 Saints will welcome his return in their bid to return to postseason contention.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Saints Place Ryan Ramczyk On Reserve/PUP List; Chase Young Nearing Return

July 18th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:05pm: NFL network’s Ian Rapoport has provided a discouraging update, noting that Ramczyk’s placement on PUP means he’s out for the entire season. This applies to all vested veterans placed on reserve/PUP prior to the final roster reduction August 27.

4:00pm: Rumored to be in danger of missing the 2024 season, Ryan Ramczyk is already out of the picture for a chunk of it. The Saints placed the All-Pro right tackle on the reserve/PUP list Thursday, guaranteeing he will miss at least the season’s first four games.

A knee injury Ramczyk battled through last season has the eighth-year veteran at a career crossroads, and the Saints drafted a tackle in Round 1 (Taliese Fuaga). The former Oregon State right tackle is training on the left side, but it does not appear Ramczyk will be counted on in 2024. This transaction points to Ramczyk missing the season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets.

Teams have the option of placing players on the active/PUP list, which is a training camp-only designation that does not affect a player’s regular-season availability. The Saints taking this step with Ramczyk more than a month before they have to does not bode well for the decorated blocker’s chances of factoring into the 2024 campaign.

Ramczyk, who turned 30 this offseason, has started 101 games. Twelve of those came last season, but knee trouble has pointed to this reality for a bit. A cartilage defect in Ramczyk’s knee has led him to this crossroads, which compounds issues for a Saints team in dire straits at tackle. Dennis Allen had labeled Ramczyk’s offseason knee surgery as minor and projected he would be ready for camp but said in April he felt better about the veteran’s chances at the time of surgery.

The team has not seen 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning pan out; an early-season benching occurred. The Saints then saw three-year starter James Hurst, who worked at left tackle for two seasons and left guard for most of last year, retire. This came shortly after Andrus Peat, a Pro Bowl guard who was Penning’s primary LT replacement last year, defected to the Raiders. This all but assured the Saints would take advantage of this year’s deep tackle crop, with Fuaga being the prize at No. 14 overall.

As recently as last season, the Saints rolled out an O-line with four first-rounders (Ramczyk, Penning, Peat, Cesar Ruiz) and second-round center Erik McCoy. The team went back to the Round 1 well via Fuaga, who is in line to start at left tackle, but the LG and RT spots are uncertain. Penning trained at right tackle this offseason and may well be the favorite to fill in for Ramczyk, but the Northern Iowa alum’s performance to date leaves that as an unstable position.

This will be a blow for a perennially cap-strapped team. The Saints gave Ramczyk a five-year, $96MM extension in 2021. That contract included $43MM guaranteed at signing and $60MM guaranteed in total. Part of a 2017 draft class that changed the Saints’ trajectory, Ramczyk is a three-time All-Pro (first team in 2019) who has given the Saints stability on the right side. Ramczyk reworked his contract this offseason, dropping his cap number from $27MM to $12.9MM. A dead money charge of $23.1MM would come the Saints’ way if Ramczyk moves off the roster via release, though that number could be split via a post-June 1 cut.

In less impactful Saints news, the team placed tight end Juwan Johnson, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, linebacker Nephi Sewell and free agency DE addition Chase Young on the active/PUP list. Chris Olave landed on the active/NFI list. Players moved to the active/PUP or active/NFI lists can be activated at any point. The Saints activated rookie wide receiver Bub Means from the active/NFI list Thursday.

Young is coming off offseason neck surgery, though the former No. 2 overall pick has been viewed as likely to be ready for Week 1. His recovery has gone well enough the team does not expect a lengthy stay on the active/PUP list, Underhill adds. A similar assessment emerged last month, pointing to Young — who saw a severe knee injury change his path in Washington — being ready in the not-too-distant future. Young signed a one-year, $13MM deal comprised largely of per-game roster bonuses.

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