New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave will miss the team’s season finale after developing a blood clot in one of his lungs.
“Thank you God for everything! Right where I need to be, life is full of unexpected twists & turns & I’m grateful to experience it. Chin up, chest out & keep it pushin. I don’t want ya sympathy just talk to God for me. Bounce back otw!” Olave said on Instagram.
Saints WR Chris Olave will be out Sunday after doctors discovered a blood clot in his lung, as @nick_underhill reported. Olave has no prior history with blood clots, and he now is expected to be sidelined for about a month before being ready for the off-season program. pic.twitter.com/WLDrWuknjN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 1, 2026
ESPN has more:
Olave, 25, will finish his fourth season with the Saints with a career-best 1,163 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The 2022 first-round pick will head into his fifth-year option if he and the Saints do not reach a contract extension before the 2026 season begins.
“The game of football is a game of football, but there’s game of life is a lot more important. So, No. 1, his health is what’s most important. And then you think about that his health’s going to be fine and he’s in great care is the next thing is for him,” offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said Thursday. “What a season, what a great job he’s done, accomplishments he’s had. And we’d like to see him finish the season, but that wasn’t in our card. So, our thoughts and prayers were with him.”
Olave, who has been dealing with a recurring back injury this season, was able to play in a win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 after receiving treatment on Friday and Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENTHe said last week that his goal was to play all 17 games after missing the second half of the 2024 season after sustaining two documented concussions.
Watch his remarks below:
For the first time in his NFL career, Chris Olave says he will play the entire 17-game season #Saints. He was sidelined over the years with concussions and other injuries. pic.twitter.com/lA313CgqtG
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) December 28, 2025
“Chris had an illness come up … obviously he’s navigating that with our medical staff,” Saints head coach Kellen Moore said, according to ESPN.
“Our medical staff is awesome and for them to kind of get ahead of this, I thought it was a credit to those guys. He’s in great care,” he added.
Fox News noted:
Olave’s absence also has playoff implications for the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers, who play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday, can win the NFC South with a win over the Buccaneers or if the Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons.
If the Panthers win Saturday, the Saints-Falcons matchup has no playoff implications.
If the Buccaneers win Saturday, then the Saints-Falcons matchup will decide who wins the NFC South. If the Saints lose, then the Buccaneers advance. But if the Saints beat the Falcons, the Panthers will win the division.
The Buccaneers and Panthers play Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, while the Saints play the Falcons at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.
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