The Saints' latest decision for Chris Olave could negate the trade rumors.
Rumors have been swirling all offseason that the New Orleans Saints may trade wide receiver Chris Olave. On Wednesday, the front office made a decision regarding Olave's contract that could depict his future with the club.
Reports indicate that the Saints are exercising Olave's fifth-year option, according to Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. This decision ties the 24-year-old wideout to New Orleans through the 2026 season. Additionally, the franchise elected to decline right tackle Trevor Penning's fifth-year option, which puts him in line to become a free agent after the 2025 season.
“The Saints are exercising the fifth-year option on WR Chris Olave for $15.493M but declining the option on OT Trevor Penning, which would’ve been $16.685M Penning is now scheduled to become a free agent after the season.”
Olave played in just eight games last season after suffering two concussions during the 2024-25 campaign. The Saints' offense struggled throughout last season, and not having Olave on the field hurt them. He ended the year with just 32 receptions, 400 receiving yards, and one touchdown.
His past production indicates that Olave can be a reliable target. The former Ohio State Buckeye has accumulated over 1,000 receiving yards in his previous two seasons in New Orleans. His reliability on the field, when healthy, of course, is likely why the organization decided to already pick up his fifth-year option well ahead of his fourth season in the NFL.
The Saints are going through plenty of changes after firing Dennis Allen as head coach in early November. New Orleans hired former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as Allen's replacement. Moore is coming off a Super Bowl win in which he called plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. He's also served as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. This is his first venture as a head coach in his career.
Saints GM shoots down Derek Carr injury question ahead of 2025 NFL Draft
Mickey Loomis declined to comment on Derek Carr's shoulder injury during an interview on Wednesday.
The New Orleans Saints are entering a new era under head coach Kellen Moore. New Orleans' roster is in an awkward place, boasting some talented veterans but with a lack of young talent. The Saints can help fix that problem this week in the 2025 NFL Draft. It appears that the quarterback position is a touchy subject for the Saints before the draft.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis did not want to go into much detail about Derek Carr's injury during his pre-draft press conference on Wednesday.
Loomis told reporters that the team is hoping for clarity on Carr's shoulder injury in the near future, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Loomis declined to comment any further on Carr's injury.
“I'm not going to answer any more questions about Derek. If you have questions about the draft I'm happy to answer those,” Loomis declared, via Nick Underhill.
News broke about Carr's shoulder injury earlier in April.
“The Saints suddenly have a major QB question: Starter Derek Carr is now dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for this season, sources say. Carr is weighing options, including the possibility of surgery,” NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on April 11th.
