Chris Olave to miss Saints' Week 18 game against Falcons with blood clot in lung

Olave's bounceback season comes to an early end

New Orleans Saints standout wide receiver Chris Olave will miss the team's Week 18 contest against the Atlanta Falcons due to a blood clot in his lung, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Olave was hospitalized for the issue, but he is expected to be discharged today, Underhill reports.

Olave missed New Orleans' Wednesday practice with an illness. He has no history of blood clots and is expected to make a full recovery within a month, ESPN reported.

Olave, 25, finishes the season with 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs. This came just one year after he played in just eight games due to multiple concussions and he contemplated retirement. Before developing the blood clot, Olave said it was one of his goals to play all 17 games this season.

"I think it's going to be my first time in my NFL career playing 17," Olave said Sunday, via ESPN. "It means a lot, man. One of my goals, one of my main goals for this year is trying to play all 17. Playing through injuries, playing through all that. So I'm super grateful, like I said. Got to give all glory to God to be in this position. We just got to finish next week."

Even though he will not achieve that goal, it was a terrific year for the 2022 first-round pick out of Ohio State. He was the top target for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and had 18 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns in the past two weeks alone.

Though both New Orleans and Atlanta are out of the playoff picture, the game could have significant ramifications. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay still needs a Saints victory Sunday to go to the playoffs. If Carolina loses, it would still make the playoffs if the Falcons win.