New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has seen his name come up in trade rumors this offseason, but it does not sound like head coach Kellen Moore is anticipating a blockbuster deal in the coming months.
Moore was asked on Thursday about the talk that Olave could be traded as the Saints enter what appears to be a rebuild. The first-year coach had a fairly blunt response.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about that,” Moore said.
While that was not an explicit denial from Moore, there are plenty of other ways he could have answered the question. He could have avoided it altogether or said the team does not want to rule anything out. It is probably telling that he dismisses the rumors.
Olave, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, had more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first two seasons with the Saints. The former Ohio State star missed significant time last year after suffering multiple concussions, which limited him to just 32 catches for 400 yards and a touchdown.
Olave is under contract for two more years after New Orleans picked up his $15.5 million option for 2026.
The Saints are holding an open competition for their starting quarterback job between second-round rookie Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. Very few people expect New Orleans to contend for a postseason spot in 2025, but that does not mean they want to trade their best wide receiver.
While Olave has been linked to one notable AFC team, the cost to acquire the 24-year-old would likely be too step for most teams even if the Saints were open to a trade.
