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New Orleans Saints wideout Chris Olave's breakout year will come to an end a week earlier than expected. Olave will reportedly miss the team's Week 18 game against the Atlanta Falcons after a blood clot was discovered in his lung, according to NewOrleans.Football.
The issue was caught early, per Nick Underhill. While Olave will miss Week 18, he's expected to be fine moving forward.
The injury ends an extremely promising season from the 25-year-old former first-round pick. After playing in just eight games last season due to multiple concussions, Olave had played in all 16 games with the Saints so far.
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He's put up excellent numbers, setting career-highs in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
While Olave has been a consistent bright spot for the Saints the entire season, he's really excelled with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough under center. In the last three games, Olave has combined for 352 yards and four touchdowns with Shough. The Saints have won all three contests.
Though New Orleans is out of the playoff hunt, the team can still play a big role in the postseason in Week 18. In order for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs, the team needs the Falcons to lose against the Saints in Week 18.
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The Saints' chance at pulling off the upset will take a hit with Olave sidelined, leaving Shough to rely on his other targets against Atlanta. While Shough started his NFL career slowly, he's rounded into form over his past couple starts, and will look to prove he can still be a productive player without his top target.
While the Olave news puts a damper on the Saints' end-of-season surge, it doesn't sound like the wideout is in danger of missing time next season. If Shough can continue to develop, that could set the Saints up as a key team to watch early next season.
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