Chris Olave Talks NFL Trade Deadline, Tyler Shough and Call of Duty in B/R Interview

The NFL trade deadline is an exciting time for fans who seek out the latest rumors and hope their teams make the right moves before the season's stretch run.

But how do players handle it?

"Just delete the social media," New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave told Bleacher Report ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. "It is tough sometimes with social media and everybody having access to the same thing. There are a lot of rumors and different things that are made up. You don't really know what's true until somebody is actually traded. 

"So I'm just trying to keep a good head, not be on social media, and just try to attack every day and get better. I'm trying to build on each week, that's what I'm mainly focused on."

Seeing how the 1-8 Saints are largely playing out the string on what has become a lost season, it was not surprising to see them featured in trade rumors with the opportunity to add draft picks and perhaps accelerate their rebuilding process.

They ended up keeping Olave, although only after speculation connected him to the Buffalo Bills.

The same could not be said of fellow wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, whom New Orleans traded to the Seattle Seahawks for 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks. That means Shaheed will join Olave's former college teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, in the NFC West:

As for the Saints, they are now further into what was an expected rebuild considering they entered the season with two unproven quarterbacks in Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough and a first-year head coach in Kellen Moore after finishing in last place in the NFC South last season at 5-12.

They have taken a step back with a 1-8 record and two different four-game losing streaks sandwiched around a victory over the New York Giants, which has left them battling with the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.

But Olave believes the team isn't far from turning a corner.

"It's been a really tough year," he said. "We're just trying to move forward and build with our building pieces. We have to keep pushing at the end of the day. It's not the outcome we're looking for this year standing at 1-8, but we have a lot of great young players and a great coaching staff with Kellen Moore and everyone he brought. There's great energy around the building. It's going to flip around soon, so stay with us."

Flipping things around soon will probably require Shough living up to expectations in the near future. 

New Orleans selected him in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft but began the year with Rattler under center after he closed the 2024 season as the starter. While Rattler showed flashes of his potential at times, he went 1-7 as a starter and completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,586 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

Considering he also went 0-6 in six starts last year, it was time for a change for the Saints.

What's more, Shough is older than most rookie at 26 years old, so they need to find out what they have in him sooner rather than later to fully evaluate the quarterback position moving forward.

With that as the backdrop, New Orleans turned to the Louisville product for his first career start Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams after he was inserted into the previous game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Facing the 6-2 Rams was a daunting task, and he went 15-of-24 for 176 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 34-10 loss.

"I was super proud of him," Olave said. "I was proud of the way he approached the game, facing one of the best teams in the league and probably the best defensive line in the league. They had a really great front seven. He handled himself well in a tough environment, so I'm excited for him moving forward."

▶️ Full Saints-Rams Recap

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Perhaps Shough and Olave can build some chemistry off the field as well by teaming up in one of the new multiplayer maps in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

After all, the wide receiver would be an ideal teammate considering he partnered with the game to promote its Nov. 14 release date.

"It's been great," Olave said. "I've been playing Call of Duty since I was really young. It's always been a great game, I've always loved how they design it and come out with new stuff almost every year. I'm excited to partner with them and thankful for the opportunity.

"I grew up on the first Call of Duty: Black Ops with zombies. I used to be on there every day, literally, growing up. So I'm super thankful for the opportunity."

Olave remained a Call of Duty fan through college and into his NFL career all while remaining dominant on the field. 

And anyone who watched him in college should not be surprised with his production in the NFL, as he finished his career as Ohio State's all-time leader with 35 touchdown receptions. He is also third on the school's all-time list with 176 catches and third with 2,711 receiving yards.

That's not just any school where his name is all over the leaderboard. Ohio State is a wide receiver factory with a laundry list of playmakers in the NFL that includes Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Curtis Samuel and Noah Brown.

Wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is also far from done when it comes to producing NFL-ready playmakers, as Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are arguably the top two wide receivers in all of college football this season for the reigning-champion Buckeyes.

Olave is proud the legacy of Ohio State receivers is alive and well.

"They just keep getting better and better," he said. "Jeremiah is Jeremiah. He's only in his second year, but he's the best player in the country. And he's building on his freshman year and looks even better this year. And Carnell Tate, he's a consistent, big-bodied, deep threat, he can do everything. They are both receiver ones in that offense, and they got a great quarterback throwing the ball. I feel like Carnell is going to add to the collection and be another first-round receiver from Ohio State."

Olave was one of those first-rounders as the No. 11 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft.

While the Saints have never made the playoffs during his career, he has been a steady bright spot who posted more than 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in the league. He is trending toward competing for that mark again this year despite inconsistent quarterback play with 55 catches for 560 yards and three touchdowns through nine games.

It has been the bounce-back effort he was looking for after injuries limited him to just eight games last season, and he is maintaining his focus despite the team's poor record.

"Just to attack every week and dominate every week. That's my main goal, plus trying to win," he said. "We're standing at 1-8 right now, so it's easy to get caught up in the negative. But I'm grateful to be able to play with the injuries from last year. So I'm trying to stack every day and build confidence with Tyler back there."

If he continues to do that, the future will look much brighter for the Saints.