Chris Olave Offensive Rookie of the Year odds take a hit after injury
This time last week, New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Chris Olave was the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year but that's no longer the case.
Olave was injured on a touchdown catch that put the Saints ahead in the second half of the game. Olave did not return to the game, which didn't surprise anyone, but it appears the injury could have hurt his chances to win the OROTY title after such a strong start.
Olave currently sits with +600 odds to be crowned Offensive Rookie of the Year, per FanDuel, trailing Dameon Pierce and Breece Hall, who both sit with +500 odds. The battle is still close and if Olave is able to return to action and not miss many games, the title could still absolutely be his.
Could injury to Chris Olave cost him OROTY?
When asked for an update on Olave, head coach Dennis Allen said:
"“He’s in the concussion protocol,” Allen said. “I saw him today and he felt pretty good this morning. I texted with him (Sunday) night and he felt pretty good. We’ll follow all those steps in terms of the protocol and we won’t put him back out here until he’s cleared by the doctors.”"
- Quote courtesy of Rod Walker, NOLA.com
Obviously, Olave's health is way more important than an award and we hope that he gets healthy and is able to return to the field again.
Olave was wheeling and dealing through his first four games and despite exiting the game with the concussion, he had a nice performance in Week 5 tallying four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. He now has 389 yards and two scores through five games.
Pierce, who plays for the Texans, has 412 yards and three rushing touchdowns while tacking on 57 yards through the air. Hall, a talented Jets running back, has 275 yards and two rushing touchdowns with another 213 receiving yards and another two scores. He's been impressive.
Kenny Pickett, the only rookie quarterback starting games, had a rough outing in Buffalo, which plummeted his odds to +1400.
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If Chris Olave is able to play in the next few weeks and be the same player we saw in Weeks 1-5, he still has a terrific shot at winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. His health is obviously the most important factor here though.