Chris Olave is expected to play against the Titans in Week 17
The The New Orleans Saints enter Week 17 riding the momentum into your own matchup with the Tennessee Titansand Chris Olave is at the center of it again. The Saints receivers are expected to play despite being listed as suspicious with a back injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both teams have already been eliminated from the playoffsbut the Saints face the Titans in Week 17 with pride, form and a strong finishing tone on the line.
The Titans are 3–12, last in the AFC South and have been eliminated since Week 13. The Saints are 5–10, also eliminated since Week 13, but the team has a three-game winning streak and a renewed lead. This week is about pride. It’s about ending the season with clarity and purpose.
The availability of Chris Olave changes the field. The defense senses his presence before shooting. His story this year also carries weight. He bounced off injury-plagued 2024 season that included two severe concussions causing him to briefly consider retirement. He missed nine games last year. He fit into every world competition in 2025. The results speak volumes. Olave already has career highs with 92 receptions and eight touchdowns while adding 1,044 receiving yards. He did it while working with inexperienced quarterbacks. He did it while he was leading.
What Olave means to the Saints now
The The Saints and New York Jets were the only teams without Pro Bowl selectionsfor the second year in a row they share that frustration. New Orleans responded with football, not talk, delivering a 29-6 demolition of the Jets. Olave was the most obvious Pro Bowl contender, and the strength of the conference likely hurt his case. Put his numbers in the AFC, and he’ll almost certainly make it.
Now the focus turns to the Titans. Olave stretches coverage. He solves the offense. He gives rhythm to New Orleans. Records aside, Pride games get emotional under the stadium lights. One question now coming into Sunday: With Chris Olave active, can the Saints turn this late surge into real offseason belief?
2025-12-28 09:59:00
