It does not sound like the Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market to give up draft picks for players, but General Manager Omar Khan has previously spoken about how he will always look for ways to make the team better. If there was a way for him to get a high-end player that could be helpful in the short and long-term future for cheap, what would stop him from pulling the trigger? Finding a player like that is few and far between, but that player may be on the trade block right now.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend.
During his weekly Q&A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo was recently asked about what it would take to trade for New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave. He acknowledged the wideout's red flags, but if his estimation is correct, Khan may need to pick up the phone.
"I would think a mid-round pick, but maybe just a late-round pick because he does have injury issues," Fittipaldo said. "He's caught a lot of passes this year (33), but not for a lot of yards and he only has one TD. I'm just guessing, but maybe a fourth or fifth-round pick."
Olave has had a brutal injury history during his tenure with the Saints, but he has been healthy so far in the 2025 season. There are a number of reasons why that is the case now, but the hope is that he can keep it up and build off of his early production. He has not been able to reach his potential yet, but if he can stay on the field, maybe he can finally break out and be a true threat.
WGNO
New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave extending to make a big play
In 2025 so far, Olave has 33 receptions for 244 yards and a touchdown. The yards per catch (YPC) is somewhat concerning, but as long as he stays on the field and continues to improve, that number should go up. It doesn't help that quarterback Spencer Rattler is one of the worst quarterbacks with completed air yards (CAY).
However, the actual worst quarterback on that list is surprisingly Aaron Rodgers. If the Steelers do get Olave, then his YPC could continue to stay very low. Luckily, Pittsburgh has its deep threat already on the team in DK Metcalf, so it's not like they would expect the Saints' wideout to suddenly jump his YPC. He could just be a great complement to Metcalf.
Steelers Can Overlook Olave's Red Flags
As mentioned before, the YPC issue should not be that concerning. As long as Olave has good hands and can run the route that he is schemed to do, he should be fine as a quality WR2 in this offense. Besides, Rodgers is still a better quarterback overall than Rattler, even if the advanced analytics don't like what the 41-year-old is doing currently. There will be chances for the fourth-year receiver to thrive.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers ahead of a play in Dublin, Ireland during a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
The injury issues can be attributed to one particular issue. When Head Coach Dennis Allen was fired in 2024, Interim Coach Darren Rizzi's first course of action was to add an "activation period," which is just a fancy way of saying warmups. There was no set, mandatory warmup routine under Allen, and that contributed to injuries all over the place, including with Olave.
darren rizzi says they've added an "activation period" before practice to help prevent players from getting hurt pic.twitter.com/yMXCVtsqYQ
— Trace (@yfntrace) November 6, 2024
Khan has supposedly been trying for a couple years to get Olave on the team, especially after the receiver's family made posts about how New Orleans was misusing him. If the Steelers can get him for a Day 3 pick and give him the chance to thrive, he could get an extension and be yet another weapon for whichever quarterback Pittsburgh drafts in 2026 or 2027. There's very little downside here.
What do you think about the Steelers possibly trading for Olave? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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