Chris Olave has been at the center of many fan made trade discussions this season, but when the New Orleans Saints traded Rashid Shaheed, it became clear they had bigger plans for Olave. His latest comments to Kay Adams confirm that.
Olave said an extension is "in the works" before saying he wants "to be in New Orleans forever." None of this is surprising. As we mentioned earlier, the Saints tipped their hand with the Shaheed trade.
There is still one year left on Olave's contract, so that gives the Saints a year to deliberate. They'll likely try to get a contract done this offseason, but neither side would have to force it. Not getting a deal done could lead to a hold out, but that's too far down the line to predict.
Saints fans would be split on a Chris Olave extension if it happened
Many fans wanted Olave traded at the trade deadline. It isn't because the receiver isn't talented, he has the potential to be a building block of the team. It all came down to the idea of what the contract would look like. Fans didn't want to pay him top wide receiver money, so the contract would likely dictate the reaction. Fans don't want Olave gone. One could actually argue they want him here as long as the price cooperates.
The other outcome is Olave proves himself to be worth top receiver money. His last outing showed exactly what Olave is capable of. He looked like the dependable threat every young quarterback needs. Olave's day was highlighted by two standout catches. The first was a bomb down the right sidelines for a touchdown.
Olave wanted a three level route tree. Rashid Shaheed's trade opened the door for Olave to get more downfield targets. That 62 yard touchdown was the longest of his young career and will be a sign of things to come, if Olave has his way.
The second thing Olave did was snag a one handed catch on what ended up being the drive that ran out the clock. Shough threw a good pass, but it still required a great catch from Olave. It's these types of plays you're looking for out of him for fans to fully believe.
If Olave continues to take the top off defenses and making difficult catches, there won't be a divide. Olave will have easily swayed his detractors and pulled them to the other side.