Saints WR Chris Olave was released from hospital after suffering a concussion to return with team to New Orleans

CHARLOTTE, NC– Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was released from the Carolinas Medical Center and cleared to return to New Orleans with his teammates on Sunday night after taking a hard hit on a pass over the middle in a 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The throw prompted Saints quarterback Derek Carr to defend himself after the game following criticism from a former teammate.

Olave suffered a concussion in the first quarter after a terrifying hit by Panthers safety Xavier Woods, which resulted in him being placed on a board and taken to the hospital for observation.

The Saints said that Olave had the use of all his limbs.

Olave was on a pass route up the middle when he was sandwiched by Woods and cornerback Dane Jackson. Woods appeared to be leading with his shoulder, but collided with Olave’s head as he tried to catch the ball on the run.

Immediately, four flags flew and Woods was penalized for unnecessary roughness.

Olave remained on the field for several minutes, assisted by trainers, as the crowd fell silent as players from both teams gathered around him.

He moved his arms as he was carried to the locker room.

Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas immediately criticized Carr on social media, saying the “guy was scary and just freaked out and threw the ball.”

He also posted another message on X suggesting Carr should be fined for throwing a “hospital pass.”

Carr spoke for more than four minutes about Thomas’ comments after the game.

“I have a pit in my stomach every time one of my teammates goes down because I love them so much,” Carr said. “It doesn’t matter if I like them or not, and I happen to love Chris Olave. We have a great relationship. I hate it, and I don’t like to use that word a lot, but I hate moments like that.

Carr said Thomas seems to be the only teammate who can’t get along with him in the NFL.

“I don’t understand what I did to him,” Carr said. “I don’t understand why he feels this way. I’m sorry that everything he’s dealing with makes him feel like he has to. But he never called me.” through all of this my phone number has never changed. I even called him several times just to try. Sometimes you can try as hard as you want, and that’s okay. But I wish him the best. I hope he gets on a team and does what he wants to do and enjoys it.

Woods was not ejected for the hit.

Woods was fined $11,255 for a late hit on Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki on September 29 during the third quarter of the Bengals’ win.

Woods said after the match that he didn’t think it was a malicious hit, but the officials told him he was being punished for hitting Olave in the head.

“I dropped my shoulder and I think I hit the chest, but I didn’t see it,” Woods said. “I know I definitely hit him with my shoulders.”

Woods said he planned to contact Olave.

“It was nothing dirty on my part, I was just playing football,” Woods said. “Sometimes things like that happen.”

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