Saints' Olave suffers concussion; Carr responds to Thomas' rant

Saints' Olave suffers concussion; Carr responds to Thomas' rant

Saints' Olave suffers concussion; Carr responds to Thomas' rant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave flew back with the team on Sunday after being taken to a local hospital due to his second concussion of the season. Olave was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol for the fourth time in his career following a hit to the head during the Saints' narrow 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.


The incident occurred midway through the first quarter as Olave attempted to catch a high pass from quarterback Derek Carr across the middle of the field. He was struck in the head and neck by Panthers safety Xavier Woods, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness. This marked Woods’ ninth such penalty since he joined the NFL in 2017, leading the league in that category.


After the hit, Olave remained down on the field and was eventually immobilized, placed on a backboard, and carted off before being transported to the hospital. Players from both teams surrounded him as he was attended to, and he offered high fives to his teammates before being driven off the field. Later, Olave reassured fans on social media, writing, "Thank God. Preciate all the love & prayers ima be aight."


Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas appeared to blame Carr for Olave’s injury, expressing his frustration on social media. In a series of posts, Thomas criticized Carr’s decision-making and commented that Carr should be held accountable, even calling for his replacement. This criticism wasn’t new, as Thomas has previously voiced his discontent with Carr, suggesting he had been "set up by a bad ball" in 2023, which led to a season-ending injury for Thomas.


Carr, addressing the controversy after the game, responded with restraint, stating he had "love" for Thomas but was disappointed by the public comments. Carr expressed that he would have preferred Thomas to contact him directly, and shared his confusion over the animosity, saying, "I don’t know why he feels that way. I’m sorry for whatever he’s dealing with to make him feel like he’s got to do that."


Regarding Olave's injury, Carr clarified that he followed the play setup, and the unfortunate hit was part of the risk in football. Carr emphasized his remorse, saying he felt "sick" whenever a teammate was injured, especially one he valued as much as Olave.


Olave’s concussion history includes an injury in his rookie season in 2022 on a pass from then-quarterback Andy Dalton, another concussion on a pass attempt from Carr in 2023, and a hit earlier this season. Following his latest concussion, Olave had switched to a new helmet model in hopes of reducing injury risk, though he missed the Saints' October 17 game due to the injury.