Chris Olave

Career StatsB+

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		55	291	3,728	19
2025		16	100	1,163	9
2024		8	32	400	1
2023		16

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Performance versus salary tier earns Chris Olave a A- Contract Value Index, with cap structure shaping the verdict. At $4.8M AAV on a four-year rookie scale deal, Olave is operating at a steep discount relative to his production tier—a fourth-year receiver who logged 1,163 receiving yards across all 16 games in the 2025 season represents above-average production locked in at a cost that feels increasingly generous for a team that drafted him at pick 11 overall in 2022. The rookie deal structure is the primary driver of this grade; Olave's contract remains well below what a receiver of his caliber would command on the open market, creating genuine cap flexibility for New Orleans regardless of how the remainder of his deal unfolds. However, the CVI verdict exists in tension with the current media narrative: while the contract itself is a steal on paper, the blood clot issue that has extended well into the offseason introduces durability questions that cloud his on-field availability and, by extension, the actual value the Saints will extract from these final years. The recent roster moves—adding depth at receiver and along the defense rather than reinforcing around Olave—suggest the organization itself is hedging against extended absence, which indirectly validates why his contract grade remains strong while his sentiment collapse reflects legitimate concern. This is a case where the deal's structural value insulates it from short-term noise, but the health uncertainty means New Orleans will need Olave cleared and productive to fully capitalize on the bargain they're holding through the remainder of his deal.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the A band — a quick read on where Chris's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Chris Olave enters his fourth NFL season as one of the Saints' most reliable offensive weapons, a former first-round pick who has steadily grown into a legitimate WR1 threat. He earns a B+ grade this season, reflecting a strong bounce-back after a down C-rated 2024 campaign. Among NFC receivers, Olave ranks as a high-end starter with clear upside remaining. His most impressive current-season mark is his receiving yards per game at 72.7, well above the NFL elite threshold of 63.5 and light-years ahead of the league average of 18.4. His TD rate of 0.56 per game also clears the elite benchmark of 0.53, signaling he's becoming a genuine red-zone factor. The one area to monitor is yards per reception at 11.6, slightly below the NFL average of 12.1, suggesting he's winning on volume and separation rather than explosive chunk plays downfield. After grading out at B in 2023, dipping to C in 2024, and rebounding to B+ this season, Olave's trajectory is encouraging. If he can push his yards-per-catch closer to the mid-to-high teens, he projects as a true top-15 receiver. The ceiling is legitimate WR1 production — watch whether New Orleans can consistently put him in position to win deep.

How Chris Compares at the Position

Chris Olave ranks 24th of 295 graded wide receivers by performance. That slots Chris between Brian Thomas Jr. (B+) just ahead and Devonta Smith (B+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

How the public sees Chris Olave shakes out to a F sentiment grade in the rolling 14-day window. The narrative around him has cratered in recent weeks—not because of a sudden decline in talent, but because of a legitimate health crisis that has overshadowed everything else: a blood clot issue that remains unresolved well into the offseason, with clearance delays extending from minicamp readiness into June. Media coverage has shifted from evaluating him as a promising young receiver to openly questioning his durability and availability, a jarring pivot for a fourth-year player who accumulated 1,163 receiving yards across all 16 games in the 2025 season and has posted consistent above-average production over his career. The gap between his on-field performance (B+ grade) and public perception is now cavernous—his tape doesn't lie, but the organizational hedging is loud: the Saints have added receiver depth via Brock Rechsteiner and other moves that subtly signal they're not betting the farm on Olave's 2026 availability, and media observers have picked up on that lack of confidence. What makes this sentiment collapse particularly brutal is that Olave isn't being criticized for production or scheme fit; he's being pitied and questioned, caught in a health-related limbo that no receiver wants to inhabit heading into a contract year. The public is no longer debating whether he's a franchise centerpiece—they're debating whether he'll even be cleared to play, a binary that has erased all the goodwill from four solid seasons in a matter of weeks.