Olave the Saint suffers a concussion; Carr responds to Thomas' tirade

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave flew home with the team Sunday after being checked out at a local hospital following his second concussion of the season.

Olave was placed in the league's concussion protocol for the fourth time in his NFL career after suffering a blow to the head midway through the first quarter of the Saints' 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“Thank God for all the love & “I pray I’m fine,” Olave wrote on his X account after the game.

Olave was hit in the head and neck by Panthers safety Xavier Woods while trying to catch a high pass from quarterback Derek Carr in the middle of the field. Woods was charged with unnecessary harshness during the game, his ninth such penalty since entering the NFL in 2017, which is the most in the league during that span.

Unable to get up from the ground after the pass, Olave was eventually strapped to a backboard, placed on a cart and driven off the field before being taken to the hospital. Players from both teams gathered around Olave and the medical staff as they worked on him, and he gave his teammates a few high fives before being evicted.

Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas appeared to blame Carr for Olave's concussion in posts on his X account.

“Age. “Creepy and panicking and just throwing the ball,” Thomas wrote in a series of tweets about Carr, “Get him out of here he's such an ass.”

Thomas, who was fired by the Saints in March after eight seasons, has taken shots at Carr several times on social media this year. He wrote in January that he was “misled by a bad ball,” referring to a season-ending injury he suffered after catching a pass from Carr in November 2023.

Thomas also said at the time that the Saints weren't trying to get him the ball. Carr addressed Thomas' tweets in a February interview, saying he wished Thomas had called him instead. Carr said at the time he believed Thomas was frustrated because Olave got the most first-team reps in training last season.

“The guy tried to lie and say I was jealous that they made Chris the WR1 all along, he can't even get him a decent ball. He needs to be kicked up the ass,” Thomas wrote on Sunday.

Carr said after the loss to the Panthers that he had “love” for Thomas but “didn't really care about his comments.”

“I’ve had so many teammates over the years and he’s like the guy who couldn’t get along with me. And I don't know what I did to him. I don't know why he thinks like that. I “I’m sorry that he’s made to feel like he has to do that,” Carr said. “I don't know it. But he never called me during that time. My phone number has never changed. I've actually called him on several occasions. Just to try. And sometimes you can try as hard as you want and it just doesn't work. So I don't know why I don't see it because I always ignore it. I try to ignore everything. It's unfortunate, especially from a player like that. But I wish him all the best and hope he does what he wants to do and that he loves it.

Carr added: “It’s just something I would never do to a teammate. Because it was a single high, the ball went where we were talking about it and unfortunately Chris got hit in the head. That happens in our game and I would never do it. Do it on purpose. I didn't look at him badly… When it comes to the football aspect, I really don't have an answer. I just hope he gets what he's looking for.

Carr said he feels a sinking feeling in his stomach when one of his receivers gets hurt, but acknowledged that Thomas could blame him if he wanted.

“(If) he wants to blame me for hurting Chris Olave, he can blame me,” Carr said. “It won’t change my day. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach every time one of my teammates is out because I love them so much. It doesn't matter whether I like him or not. And I happen to love Chris Olave. We have this.” A great relationship, and every time that happens I feel sick and I hate – hate, and I don't use that word often – but I hate moments like that.

“So, to be clear, I hate it when it happens. It makes me sick every time this happens, whether they don't get up or whether they get up. I don't like that. You do your best.” I've never put anyone in this situation. And over the course of my career it hasn't happened that often… I'm sorry I even had to answer these questions. I wish it had never happened. I wish I could have made Mike happier. But it's hard to do.

Carr said he checked on Olave in the locker room after the game “to make sure he was OK.”

Thomas' post caught the attention of Olave's brother Josh, who reposted Thomas' post and denied that he was jealous of Olave with a “100” emoji.

Josh Olave also responded to a question on Twitter about whether he and his brother needed an “Is it worth it?” speak.

“It’s not worth it in Nola, I’m telling you that,” Josh Olave replied.

Olave was diagnosed with a concussion in his rookie season in 2022 after suffering a hit while catching a pass from then-quarterback Andy Dalton in Week 5. He also suffered a concussion on a pass attempt by Carr in Week 12 last year and after catching a pass from Spencer Rattler against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this season.

Olave changed his helmet for a new model after missing a game due to his recent concussion. However, he suffered a serious blow last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, was examined in the medical tent and returned to the game.