The NFL made a change that was a long time in the making. They're getting rid of the Pro Bowl game, but they'll keep Pro Bowl rosters. However, no game means no players pulling out, and the lack of alternates, could have a quiet impact on New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave.
Olave has an annual incentive worth $400k for every time he makes the Pro Bowl over the course of his 4 year extension, something he's yet to do in his career. That just got much harder, because the Pro Bowl selects four receivers from each conference. With the way players opt out of the Pro Bowl, that could easily drop down to five, six, seven receivers.
The Pro Bowl hasn't been the same for years, so no one is going to question the league's decision to get rid of the game. They are at least holding on to the rosters, so players get credit for their successful seasons. The change makes sense, but it did make it tougher for Olave to hit one of his contract's five incentives.
Chris Olave isn't the biggest name and that could cost him $1.6 million
Olave plays one of the most stacked positions in the NFL. It's also one of the most popular positions with fans as well. When it comes to Pro Bowls, both of those factors are vital.
Olave still has to close the gap to be one of most productive receivers in conference and an even longer ways to go to become one of the biggest names. We aren't even discussing AFC players like Ja'Marr Chase. We are only focusing on the receivers in Olave's path to a Pro Bowl team.
In 2025, the three receivers with the most yards in the NFL all came from the NFC. Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the league and won Offensive Player of the Year. Puka Nacua and George Pickens followed right behind him.
Olave was fifth in receiving yards among NFC wide receivers, with Amon-Ra St. Brown as the last player in front of him, and he still didn't make the Pro Bowl. All four of these players were at least 200 yards ahead of Olave, so the extra game wouldn't have made a difference.
All four of those players are also big name players going into 2026, and we haven't even named Justin Jefferson yet. Arguably the best receiver in the league was hindered with subpar quarterback play last year, but he should bounce back in a major way.
If he and Olave are close in production, Jefferson is getting the Pro Bowl nod ahead of Olave. The same could be said for Ceedee Lamb. Name recognition holds so much weight in Pro Bowl that Olave is going to have to flat out outperform those guys to earn that nod.
Jefferson feels like a sure thing on most healthy seasons, and so does Nacua. If Smith-Njigba's season is any indication, we have another contender for best receiver in the league. If those are the three players we expect to regularly in the mix, that leaves Olave competing with Pickens, Lamb, St. Brown and whatever surging wide receiver pops in the conference on a given year for the final 1, maybe 2, spots on the Pro Bowl.
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