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Jeff Duncan: Chris Olave earned his blockbuster deal and handled it the right way from start to finish 37%
By Jeff Duncan52%
8/1/2026, 2:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 24 faulty reasoning types, including Optimism Bias, Biased Writer Voice, and Halo Effect, with Post Hoc (False Cause) as the most egregious example at 19.9% saturation with 152 hits. Analysis detected 1,285 faulty-reasoning hits from 762 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 38.5% and a BS Rank of 37% (15,992 of 25,269 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 63.30% of the article peer group.
Chris Olave strode into the Saints' indoor practice facility Friday like a man who’d had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders.
Who could blame him?
Only 24 hours removed from signing a blockbuster four-year, $132 million contract, the star receiver was all smiles as he addressed reporters after the team’s third practice of training camp.
“I feel great, actually,” he said, breaking into a devilish grin.
A life-changing contract and long-term financial security will do that for you.
Olave’s contract was the second-largest in Saints history, trailing only Derek Carr’s four-year, $150 million deal in 2023.
It also makes him the sixth-highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
No Saints skill position player ever has been rewarded with such a lucrative deal.
Olave always has been a man of few words.
Quiet by nature, he prefers to let his game do his talking for him.
But he was thoughtful and expansive with reporters on Friday as he discussed the roller-coaster ride he’s navigated the last few years.
At this time a year ago, he didn’t know whether he had a future, much less a secure one.
He was coming off the worst season of his career, an injury-riddled campaign that limited him to only eight games and a career-low 32 receptions for 400 yards.
A series of concussions caused him to contemplate retirement in the 2025 offseason.
But Olave rebounded with a breakout year last season.
He started 16 games and recorded career highs of 100 receptions, 1,163 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
He also started to blossom as a leader in the locker room, an area he’d been hesitant to embrace until he felt like he was ready.
Even with Olave’s breakout season, the Saints were concerned enough about his long-term health and availability that they spent significant resources to fortify their receiver position.
They traded for Devaughn Vele and Ja’Lynn Polk last season, then selected Jordyn Tyson in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
“I’m just grateful, man,” Olave said.
“Everybody knows the adversity I've been through.
All the times I got knocked down, just keep getting back up, keep getting back up and keep putting my best foot forward … not just in football but in life.”
Olave’s breakout campaign came at a critical time, both for him and the Saints.
It validated the club’s decision to trade up and select Olave with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 draft and gave them the confidence needed to open the vault and extend his time here.
“I feel like last year we had an interview around this time, and I feel like I was going to (have a breakout season) and spoke it into existence,” Olave said.
“I knew I was in a great role to be able to have that type of year, just had to stay healthy.
I just put my best foot forward and I believed in myself and kind of set the standard early to be able to have that type of season.”
A signing of this magnitude is complicated and takes time.
Olave’s injury history exacerbated matters.
Negotiations between the Saints and Olave’s representatives had been ongoing throughout the offseason and dated to last season.
In the end, the Saints did the right thing by rewarding Olave for his commitment and production.
In a prove-it season, he delivered the goods with an All-Pro campaign.
The contract will serve as a positive example for the rest of the roster: If you’re a good teammate and produce when called upon, the organization will reward your efforts.
“Huge congrats,” center Erik McCoy said, echoing the sentiments of several of Olave’s teammates.
“I can’t think of a person more worthy, a guy that really battled injuries and was resilient and fought through to the other side.
And now he’s set.”
And with their No. 1 receiver locked up for the foreseeable future, so, too, is the Saints offense.
Olave deserves credit for the way he handled the high-stakes negotiations.
He could have turned the situations into a sideshow and allowed the standoff to become a distraction for the team and fan base.
But he refused to go down that road, saying he didn’t want to do anything to disrupt the positive vibes the team has fostered this offseason.
Olave was already widely respected by his teammates and coaches, but his selfless approach to such a high-pressure, high-stakes deal will burnish his reputation in the locker room.
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