Chris Olave and Derek Carr must take connection to another level for Saints in 2024

Derek Carr must continue to build the relationship with No. 1 receiver Chris Olave to help the New Orleans Saints offense take things to the next level.

Chicago Bears v New Orleans Saints
Chicago Bears v New Orleans Saints / Wesley Hitt/GettyImages
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All great offenses have a phenomenal quarterback-pass catcher duo. That has been a prevalent theme throughout the NFL and it’s especially relevant in today’s league. The New Orleans Saints saw first hand what a duo like Drew Brees and Michael Thomas could do for an offense, unfortunately, neither of those players are with the Saints anymore.

Now, Derek Carr is the man under center in New Orleans and Chris Olave is the go-to wide receiver. This duo has only been together for one season so far, but they’ve already shown promise of being an elite partnership. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report recently ranked the 10 best quarterback-receiver duos in the league. Carr and Olave didn’t make the top 10, but they were named in the honorable mention section.

Derek Carr and Chris Olave considered a promising QB-WR duo

Moton noted that Carr’s first year in New Orleans was a bit of a roller coaster, but blamed that on the fact that Carr was battling injuries, while still playing all 17 games. Still, Moton says the rapport between Derek Carr and Chris Olave was strong, powering the Saints to an 11th-ranked passing offense.

Chris Olave was targeted 138 times, catching 87 passes for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns. However, there’s another level for this duo to go to, and that’s part of the reason why Klint Kubiak was brought in as the team’s offensive coordinator. The Saints offense left a lot of food on the table in 2023, and the belief is that Kubiak will help the team finish their plate.

Beyond that, 2024 will be Derek Carr’s second season with New Orleans and Chris Olave, and also Olave’a third season in the NFL. All of those factors should contribute to increased production from Derek Carr and Chris Olave next season.

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