What happened to Chris Olave? Saints WR carted off the field after taking brutal hit vs. Panthers

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave took a vicious hit during Week 9's game against the Carolina Panthers. The receiver was carted off the field after failing to catch a Derek Carr pass and getting hit by two Panthers defenders.

He took a hit to the head that left him on the ground while three flags were thrown. Trainers quickly entered the field to help them while his teammates were concerned about his well-being. He was on a stretcher and was carted off the field after the scary incident. The announcers covering the game said that Olave was moving his hands and arms as he was lifted onto the cart.

Reporter Jeff Nowak confirmed this update on X (formerly Twitter). The Saints were up 3-0 against the Panthers with 7:02 minutes left on the clock in the first quarter before Chris Olave took this massive hit.

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Saints officially rule out Chris Olave to return to game

After this scary hit and the way Chris Olave exited the game, not many thought he would be able to return to the field. The team confirmed what everybody suspected, ruling Olave out with a concussion.

"WR Chris Olave (concussion) is OUT for the remainder of the game. He has movement in all extremities and is being evaluated at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center for further evaluation."

This could be a serious situation for the wideout and his team. Reporter Arye Pulli recalled that he had another concussion earlier this year and today's would be his fifth since 2020. Concussions have been a major issue in the NFL, with the league trying to protect players as much as possible.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the most recurrent topics included Tua Tagovailoa and a potential retirement. Hopefully, Chris Olave can recover from this quickly and return to action in no time.

On Thursday, he talked about the possibility of wearing a guardian cap for this game. This cap is worn over the helmet to reduce the risk of concussions and head injuries.

"I'm still considering it. I was considering last game, ended up going with the regular helmet," Olave said.

Whether he had it or not, that hit was awful and the outcome might have been the same for the star receiver. The good news is that he was able to move his extremities, ruling out the possibility or more serious damage.