NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints have seen only a brief look at how wide receivers Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson might function together in 2026. Tyson, the No. 8 pick in April’s draft, and Olave, a 2022 first-round selection, spent recent months working out, attending meetings and getting to know each other, but were limited in practice time because of injury concerns. On the final day of veteran minicamp the team put both on the field for a half-speed walkthrough.
Wide receivers coach Keith Williams said Tyson already has a rapport with Olave, noting the rookie “respects Chris” and that Olave “has kind of studied his game from the side.” That limited public pairing may be the last until training camp opens July 29, though the pair might attend quarterback Tyler Shough’s July session in California.
Both players enter next season with recent injury histories. Olave has been on blood thinners since a blood clot was discovered in January, which has limited his participation in contact drills. Tyson is coming off a string of hamstring issues dating to his final season at Arizona State. Saints coach Kellen Moore, who has taken a cautious approach to injuries, said during rookie minicamp, “We’ve got him in our system now, and let’s just start building this in the right way.” The Saints open the 2026 season Sept. 13 at Detroit.
Shough said in June he liked what he has seen from Tyson, adding the rookie “is going to be firing on all cylinders, so I can’t wait to get going with him.” Olave told ESPN he expected to be off blood thinners and available by training camp, according to ESPN. The organization has treated both players carefully knowing much of the offense’s success will hinge on its two first-round receivers.
Olave is one of the few returning wideouts after a roster overhaul. The Saints traded for Devaughn Vele and Ja’Lynn Polk, claimed Trey Palmer off waivers, and replaced Brandin Cooks and Rashid Shaheed with three draft picks: Tyson, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown. The newcomers bring size and speed — Vele is listed at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Polk 6-1, 203 and Palmer 6-1, 190; Tyson nearly tied the wide receiver bench-press record at the combine (26 reps) and Lance and Brown ran 4.35 and 4.40, respectively.
Decisions loom with final roster cuts due Aug. 30. The Saints are expected to keep five or six receivers, leaving three or four spots behind Tyson and Olave. Every player faces pressure to prove his value: Olave is playing for a contract extension, Tyson must answer durability questions, Polk and Palmer have yet to appear in a game for New Orleans, and Vele had 25 catches before being shut down in 2025 with a shoulder injury. Bub Means, a 2024 fifth-round pick, has also spent time on the sidelines the past two years.
