Admin December 5, 2024
NFL Week 14 picks: Why you should consider Seahawks, Saints and Chargers on Sunday
Lorenzo Reyes is back with his three best bets ahead of Sunday’s games.
The New Orleans Saints placed star receiver Chris Olave on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion in the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Olave’s head injury was the receiver’s second in less than a month. He picked up a concussion in the team’s Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so the Saints cautiously approached his recovery.
As of Week 14, Olave has one more week before he is eligible to return from IR. However, it remains unclear if the Saints will activate him for their game against the Washington Commanders or even before the end of the season.
Here are the latest updates on Olave’s injury and status moving forward.
Chris Olave injury update
Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi offered a brief update about Olave’s status during a news conference on Wednesday.
“I think one of the specialists [Olave] was going to see got pushed back to next week,” Rizzi told reporters. “So no real update.”
Rizzi later added that the team would provide a more concrete update on Olave once that meeting occurred. The 54-year-old coach also explained that Olave was in “great spirits” and that the receiver had been at Saints practice in recent weeks as he recovered from his second concussion of the season.
“It’s great to have him around,” Rizzi said. “He’s kind of helping a lot with some of those younger receivers, which is great to see. He’s in a much better place.”
Is Chris Olave playing Week 14 vs Giants?
Olave will not be back before their Week 14 game with the Giants. Rizzi implied that the team wouldn’t make a decision about the 24-year-old’s status until after his meeting with a specialist, which will happen next week.
“We’re just going to wait for that to happen and then we’ll have an update after that,” Rizzi said.
When will Chris Olave return?
There is no concrete timetable for Olave’s return. He is eligible to return as early as Week 15, but it sounds like the Saints will wait until he meets with a specialist before making a decision.
Olave’s potential return could depend on whether the Saints remain alive in the NFC playoff race. The team is currently sitting at 4-8 but is just two games back of the Atlanta Falcons and the Buccaneers in the NFC South standings.
A win over the Giants could incentivize the Saints to activate Olave for Week 15 – if he gets clearance. A loss may get New Orleans’ brain trust thinking about next season while considering shutting down their star receiver, who has suffered two concussions in 2024.