The Pittsburgh Steelers have discussed the possibility of trading for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave , a team sourced confirmed to Steelers Now, but that process remains at an extremely preliminary level.
Adam Crowley of 93.7 The Fan first reported the Steelers' interest in Olave, who has two seasons remaining on his contract with the Saints.
The Steelers have an obvious need at the wide receiver position after trading George Pickens
to the Dallas Cowboys
earlier this offseason. Behind D.K. Metcalf, the team has little in terms of experienced outside wide receiver options, with veteran Robert Woods
currently next on the depth chart.
The Steelers have also been in touch with the Green Bay Packers
about potentially trading for one of their wide receivers this offseason. It does not appear that any trade is imminent or likely to materialize at this point.
It's also not clear why the Saints would want to move on from Olave, after just picking up the fifth-year option on his contract earlier this offseason.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) catches a touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Olave, 24, was the No. 11 overall pick of the Saints in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to start his NFL career, but struggled through poor quarterback play and concussions in 2024.
Olave missed one game with a concussion in Week 6 last season, returned, and then suffered another concussion in Week 9 that cost him the rest of his season. Even when active, he was less effective for the Saints last season, averaging 50 yards per game after averaging 69.5 and 70.2 yards per game in his first two seasons.
A part of that downturn in production was undoubtedly due to the injuries suffered by Saints quarterback Derek Carr , who missed seven games last season. But Carr will not be returning, choosing to retire after his injuries, leaving Jake Haener , Spencer Rattler and 2025 second-round draft picks Tyler Shough to battle for the New Orleans starting quarterback job.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Another Steelers WR Trade Target Identified
