Chris Olave reported to New Orleans Saints training camp but is sitting out of team drills. He’s “holding in” in hopes of landing a new contract with the team. Olave is set to make nearly $15.5M this season in the final year of his rookie deal.
Meanwhile Puka Nacua, who is also in a contract year, is active in training camp for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having more career yards and receptions in fewer games played, Nacua will get paid just $5.75M this season.
Olave is taking a more aggressive stand
on his contract dispute despite making nearly $10M more than Nacua and as the less productive player.
That doesn’t make sense.
| Player | Games | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Olave | 55 | 291 | 3,728 | 19 |
| Puka Nacua | 44 | 313 | 4,191 | 19 |
Data via Pro Football Reference.
Of course, one major factor is that Nacua had his fair share of off-field issues last season that resulted in an offseason stint in rehabilitation. The Rams may want to see that he can keep his name out of the news from a negative standpoint before they pay him as a face of the franchise. Injuries are also a concern, but Nacua is on pace for one of the most productive starts to a receiver’s career in the history of the NFL. It would take a lot to derail his forthcoming massive payday.
The Rams preach the “we, then me” mentality. Nacua is embodying this mindset by participating in training camp and keeping his focus on football. LA has Super Bowl expectations and Nacua will need to play a major role to make good on those hopes.
Olave’s situation is what you’d expect from a player on an underperforming team. He’s played more than a half season beyond Nacua and still produced inferior stats. The fifth-year option for first-round picks is designed for situations like this. Olave is being compensated fairly for someone at this stage of his career—his 2026 money is fully-guaranteed.
If either of these players has the right to hold in or out, it’s Nacua. While receivers are known for being divas, Nacua is doing his part to earn back his positive reputation.
Why in the world is Chris Olave “holding in” while Puka Nacua isn’t? It makes no sense.
