The New Orleans Saints have an offseason full of tough decisions ahead of them, and some of those calls have deadlines. For Chris Olave, it’s May 1. That’s when the Saints must choose whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2026 or choose to let him test free agency in 2025. The former Ohio State Buckeyes standout has had a couple of good years for the Saints but he hasn’t been the absolute game-changer they envisioned when trading up to draft him.
It’s an issue we’ve discussed before, but the numbers have changed a bit. The heightened salary cap and some new deals around the league have raised the costs. The NFL announced that Olave would carry a salary cap hit north of $15.4 million in 2026 if the Saints want to keep him. Extending his contract would likely be even more expensive. Is it worth it? If they don’t think so, the Saints could explore trading him.
And we’ve got an offer from over at Patriots Wire. Cam Garrity laid out the pros and cons of New England trading for Olave before submitting this proposal. In exchange for Olave, the No. 9 pick, and the Saints’ fourth-round choice at No. 129, New Orleans would receive the the No. 4 overall selection plus an early fifth rounder at No. 144.
“This deal benefits both teams in multiple ways,” Garrity wrote in explanation. “The Saints move up to No. 4 overall on the board, allowing them to draft a quarterback or blue-chip prospect while clearing Olave’s future contract off their books. Meanwhile, the Patriots still stay inside the top 10, while also gaining a valuable offensive playmaker and an extra fourth-round draft pick.”
Garrity adds that this swap would come with an extension in mind, planning to sign Olave to a four-year, $112 million contract averaging out to $28 million per year. That’s a lot of bread. Would the Saints consider paying it themselves? Injuries have kept Olave from playing a full 17 games in a single season since he was drafted and Rashid Shaheed seemed to surpass him as the team’s WR1 last season when both guys were healthy.
Because of that, I’m not opposed to the idea of trading Olave altogether. I just don’t feel like this is the right deal. There won’t be many players available at No. 4 who won’t be there at No. 9. The Saints are doing their homework on this quarterbacks class but this move wouldn’t be enough to get Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, and nobody else is worth picking that high. Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter would be big additions but the Saints can get similar talents where they are. If I’m trading Olave, I’m asking for a first rounder straight up (possibly from the Houston Texans at No. 25) while being willing to settle for a package of second- and third-round picks. If nobody bites on that, well — we’ll hold onto Olave, hope he stays healthy, and see just how great a fit he is in Kellen Moore’s offense before deciding on his long-term future
