The New Orleans Saints might be near the bottom of the NFL's standings this season, but over the last few weeks, they've seen a glimmer of hope.
Tyler Shough looks like a potential franchise quarterback, and surrounding him with the proper weapons next season will be paramount to the Saints determining if Shough can lead the franchise going forward.
ESPN's Katherine Terrell predicts that the Saints, with a clear goal of aiding Shough in his development, will extend the best wide receiver on the roster, as a Chris Olave extension makes the most sense for New Orleans this offseason.
Saints predicted to extend Chris Olave to aid Tyler Shough's development
"Because the Saints don't have a lot of receiving options," Terrell writes, "it would make sense for them to close a deal with Olave this offseason."
With Shough showing some promise in his limited starts thus far, the Saints have no reason not to surround him with the best weapons possible.
Rashid Shaheed was traded, Brandin Cooks was released, and while Devaughn Vele has impressed this season, the Saints need more than just Vele.
Olave, a veteran who's in the middle of his age-25 season and his fourth in the NFL, should be the Saints' priority this offseason.
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Extending him to a long-term deal beyond his 2026 fifth-year option is a no-brainer for New Orleans. While he's struggled with injuries in his career, the Saints should still sign him to a long-term deal.
They've already been in contract talks with Olave, and whether it's in the close weeks of the 2025 season or in the offseason, the Saints need to lock Olave up long-term.
This season, he has 896 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 82 receptions for New Orleans this season. Olave needs 227 yards and five more receptions to tie his career high. With three games left, reaching those benchmarks is very possible.
Locking up Olave long-term will not only allow the Saints to retain a core player on offense, but it will give Shough, or any quarterback, a strong top option for the next few seasons. This extension makes a lot of sense and should be the Saints' top priority this offseason.
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