NFL Transfers & Rumours
Chris Olave ‘$30M Man’ Talks Intensify as Saints Prepare Major Extension Push
New Orleans Saints v Chicago Bears by Patrick McDermott | Getty Images
Saints top receiver Chris Olave has spoken optimistically about the chances to secure an extension with the Saints in the not-too-distant future, and officials who negotiate contracts for other NFL teams believe that, in fact will be the case this offseason.
Olave is coming off a 100-catch season.
He has proven his worth in the new offense being run and installed by young head coach Kellen Moore, and even with the Saints drafting another receiver in the first round in April, Olave is someone other front offices believe will be a stalwart in New Orleans for years to come.
Given the rate of return on pass catcher, the price is always soaring, and New Orleans, being a front office that has not been shy about extending its better draft picks, and the Saints, frankly, not having as many other players in line for extensions, this is a deal that is roundly expected to get done.
Several front office executives pointed to the roughly $28M that receivers will get in 2027 on a fifth-year option as a figure that could be essential in the Olave negotiations.
Is Olave a $30M Man?
“I think he wants $30M and I think he ends up maybe coming in a little under that,” one NFL general manager said, noting that the Saints top football operations official, Mickey Loomis, has a strong reputation for getting emerging talent extended.
Olave is set to make just $15.5M this season, which complicates matters when the new annual salary would be close to doubling that figure.
But the Saints are also trying to make things work with second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, who will be a major bargain if he performs as well this season as he did in the second half of his rookie season.
He is not the type of generational athlete or passer who is going to be able to win without having premium talent around him, and several execs said the thinking behind the Saints selecting Jordyn Tyson in the top half of the first round in this draft wasn’t to replace Olave, but rather for them to complement one another in a robust offense.
The offenses Moore excelled with in Dallas had a multitude of downfield targets.
And if the Saints can move running back Alvin Kamara and at least part of his considerable salary, those savings could get funnelled to Olave.
Editor's Insight
We expect the Saints to get a deal done with Chris Olave before things ever get close to a holdout situation, with both sides aligned on him as a long-term cornerstone. Historically, contract standoffs and early negotiations often foreshadow movement or tension, but this feels more like a straightforward extension case than a precursor to a trade.
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La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.