Ohio State has produced some of the most electric wide receivers in college football history. But few Buckeyes have left a mark quite like Chris Olave, who helped lead Ohio State to three straight Big Ten championships and two College Football Playoff appearances between 2018 and 2020. And right now, Buckeye Nation and the entire NFL community are sending prayers his way after doctors discovered a blood clot in his lung that will sideline him for the New Orleans Saints’ Week 18 finale against Atlanta.​

The news broke on New Year’s Day when Saints insider Nick Underhill reported that Chris Olave would miss Sunday’s game after the blood clot was detected during what initially appeared to be a routine illness. Chris Olave had been listed on the injury report on Wednesday after missing practice. But nobody expected this kind of diagnosis. The good news is that doctors caught it early, before anything serious could happen. 

According to ESPN, Olave has no prior history of blood clots. And he’s expected to be sidelined for about a month before he can participate in the Saints’ offseason program when it begins in April. That’s a massive relief considering how dangerous pulmonary embolisms can be if left undetected.​

A pulmonary embolism blocks blood flow from collecting oxygen, and depending on the size and location of the clot, it can be immediately life-threatening. The fact that this was caught early likely saved Olave from a far more serious medical emergency. And the Saints’ medical staff deserves credit for identifying the issue before he stepped on the field Sunday. Olave will now undergo treatment over the next month, and barring any complications, he should be ready to resume football activities well before training camp. 

What makes this news even more heartbreaking is the season Chris Olave was having before this diagnosis. The former Buckeye star put together career-best numbers in 2025, finishing with 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. He was absolutely on fire during the Saints’ current four-game winning streak. He racked up 27 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns while developing incredible chemistry with quarterback Tyler Shough. 

For Ohio State fans, Olave remains one of the program’s all-time greats, a receiver who consistently showed up in the biggest moments and never let the stage get too big. The prayers pouring in from Buckeye Nation, Saints fans, and the broader NFL community show how much respect Olave has earned throughout his career. The silver lining here is that doctors caught this early. And he should make a full recovery and be ready to build on what was a genuinely special 2025 season. 

A season of redemption cut one game short

This blood clot diagnosis is especially cruel when you consider what Olave went through just to get on the field in 2025. Last season was genuinely terrifying for him. He suffered two documented concussions in a three-week span, and the second one was so severe that he had to be carted off the field at Bank of America Stadium on a backboard after a hit against the Panthers. That turned out to be his final game of 2024. And it was the fourth known concussion of his NFL career. At just 24 years old, Olave found himself consulting with concussion specialists and seriously weighing whether football was worth the long-term risk. 

And it really had been a great year, until Wednesday’s diagnosis. Olave set a goal to play all 17 games this season, something he’d never accomplished in his NFL career, and he was one game away from making it happen. He’d been dealing with a recurring back injury throughout the year, but gutted through it. He received treatment on Fridays and Saturdays just to be ready for Sundays. 

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“I think it’s going to be my first time in my NFL career playing 17,” Olave said after Week 17. “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.”

The fact that he was one game away from achieving his goal of playing all 17 games makes this blood clot diagnosis feel like a particularly harsh twist of fate. Though thankfully, one that doctors caught in time.​