Chris Olave Released from Hospital; Saints WR Suffered Concussion on Illegal Hit

The New Orleans Saints ruled out wide receiver Chris Olave for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers after he suffered a concussion while taking an illegal hit over the middle of the field.

Olave, who was laying still on the field after the blow to his head and appeared to potentially be knocked unconscious, "has movement in all extremities and is undergoing further evaluation at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center," per the team. He has since been discharged from the hospital.

Xavier Woods, the Panthers safety who hit Olave on the play, was penalized for unnecessary roughness. While Olave was placed on a stretcher, he was able to move his arms while being taken off the field.

His brother later provided the following update:

Olave's former teammate, wide receiver Michael Thomas, had harsh words for quarterback Derek Carr—who threw the ball over the middle into double coverage—during a lengthy rant on social media:

Olave, 24, has now suffered five concussions in his playing career (four with the Saints, one in college at Ohio State), including one this season in October. He was also evaluated for a concussion last week during a matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

It's become a major concern for the talented young receiver, who exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. He got off to a slower start this year, posting 31 catches for 387 yards and a touchdown in his first seven contests, but remained the team's most talented option in the passing game.

The Saints are now without Olave and fellow wideout Rashid Shaheed, severely limiting Carr's weapons. That's a tough development for a Saints team that had lost six straight games coming into Sunday after starting the year 2-0.