Chris Olave Trade Reportedly Discussed by Steelers, Talks Are 'Extremely Preliminary'

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly expressed interest in a potential trade for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave.

After Adam Crowley of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh simply wrote, "Chris Olave," in a post Friday on X, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reported that a team source confirmed to him that discussions have taken place regarding a possible Olave trade.

However, the idea of trading for Olave is still on an "extremely preliminary level," per Saunders.

The Steelers have been busy on the wide receiver trade front this offseason, acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in March in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

It appeared as though the Steelers were set to enter the 2025 campaign with a dynamic wideout duo of Metcalf and George Pickens in place, but Pittsburgh instead shipped Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 third-round pick and 2027 fifth-round pick last week.

With that, the Steelers once again have a need at WR2, as veteran Robert Woods, speedster Calvin Austin III and 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson are the current candidates for that role.

Olave, who will turn 25 next month, is set to enter his fourth NFL season after the Saints selected him 11th overall in the 2022 NFL draft.

The former Ohio State standout reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first two seasons, finishing with 72 receptions for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, and 87 catches for 1,123 yards and five scores in 2023.

Olave had his worst NFL season by far in 2024, but that was due to the fact that he missed nine games as a result of two concussions.

He played in eight games total, recording 32 grabs for 400 yards and one touchdown, meaning he was on pace for a dip in production even if he was healthy.

Despite the numbers and the injury concerns, the Saints exercised the fifth-year option in Olave's rookie deal, meaning he is under contract through 2026.

Following the announcement last week that veteran starting quarterback Derek Carr is retiring due to a shoulder injury, the Saints are likely trending toward being one of the NFL's worst teams in 2025.

They will enter training camp anticipating a three-way battle for the starting quarterback job featuring rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough, 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener.

Should the Saints finish at or near the bottom of the league, they could conceivably take a quarterback early in the first round of the 2026 draft.

Having Olave around to ease in the current quarterbacks and a potential rookie next season makes plenty of sense, but if the Saints don't anticipate being playoff contenders for quite some time, trading him before he hits free agency is logical as well.

Acquiring Olave would once again give the Steelers a high-end receiving tandem, but they still have major question marks at quarterback, as free-agent Aaron Rodgers has yet to commit to signing, leaving Mason Rudolph, rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard and Skylar Thompson as Pittsburgh's options under center.