New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was the center of numerous trade rumors ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Olave had his best season of his career last year. The explosion put most of hypothetical trade talk to bed. Despite this, Olave was named as a potential trade candidate and was shipped off to the Kansas City Chiefs in a recent Fansided article. Great for the Chiefs but it's a detrimental move for the Saints that they must avoid at all costs.
The Saints exercised Olave’s fifth-year option ahead of the 2025 season. This means he’s entering the final year of his contract and is seeking a new agreement. They haven’t reached a deal yet, but the Saints have ample cap space to extend the star receiver. Because of this, a trade is unlikely.
The compensation for Olave would be nice as the wide receiver trade market is lucrative. Basing it off the recent Jaylen Waddle trade, the Saints would likely fetch a first round pick plus additional draft capital. However, this still isn’t worth it and shouldn’t be entertained.
The Saints can’t abandon Tyler Shough and trade Chris Olave
It’s imperative that the Saints surround Tyler Shough with as much talent as possible. With this goal in mind, it’s counterintuitive to trade his primary target. The team already had an exodus of receivers mid-way through 2025. Rashid Shaheed was shipped off and Brandin Cook was released prior to the deadline. Mickey Loomis saw what their offense looked like without explosive playmakers in week 18; that can’t happen again next season.
Because of this, the Saints should give Olave a blank check to ensure his future in the black and gold. He’s too valuable for Shough and the offense to head elsewhere. Their offensive success is dependent on Olave’s availability next season.
Even if you trade Olave and select a rookie receiver in the draft. You're taking a gamble on a prospect and a bigger gamble that the prospect will play at a high level immediately. You know what you're getting from Olave. Taking a step back at the position could threaten Shough's development in Year 2. Even when he didn't have a lot of weapons, he had Olave. Take that a way and you're forcing a young quarterback into a tough situation when the offseason has been all about making it easier.