New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was loud and proud Sunday about his switch to the Guardian Cap this season.
Olave spoke to reporters after the Saints’ overtime loss to the Detroit Lions in their season opener at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. The Saints lost 31-30 in OT despite a big night from Olave.
The fifth-year wideout caught 10 passes for 182 yards, which nearly tripled every other receiver’s total. It was quite the Guardian Cap debut for Olave, who spoke to reporters about his new headgear after the game.
“Ya’ll know all the head injuries I’ve had in my career,” Olave said during his postgame press conference.
“Shoot, I got kids now. I want to be able to live the long game. It’s not all about football. I want to live a regular life after I’m done with football. I love my kids to death, so I don’t really care how it looks no more. I just kind of throw it on, and it did me good today.”
The 26-year-old Olave has had numerous concussions throughout his football career, including at least four in the NFL. Olave played just eight games in 2024 after suffering multiple concussions that season alone.
The Ohio State product stayed mostly injury-free last year. He caught 100 passes for 1,163 yards and 9 touchdowns, earning his first second-team All-Pro nod.
The Saints signed Olave to a record-setting contract in July, making him the franchise’s highest-paid wide receiver ever. The team probably won’t mind him wearing a Guardian Cap for the rest of the year if it means lowering his risk of injury.
