Saints WR Chris Olave discharged from hospital after concussion, to return to New Orleans with team

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was discharged from Carolinas Medical Center and allowed to return to New Orleans on Sunday night with his teammates 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 an ex-teammate.

Olave sustained a concussion in the first quarter following a scary hit from Panthers safety Xavier Woods, resulting in him being placed on a backboard and taken to the hospital for observations.

The Saints said Olave had use of all of his extremities.

Olave was coming across the middle on a pass route when he was sandwiched by Woods and cornerback Dane Jackson. Woods appeared to lead with his shoulder, but collided with Olave's head as he was attempting to catch the ball on the run.

Immediately four flags came flying and Woods was penalized for unnecessary roughness.

Olave remained on the field for several minutes being attended to by trainers as the crowd went silent as players from both teams gathered around him.

He was moving his arms as he was carted to the locker room.

Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas immediately criticized Carr on social media, saying the “dude scary and just panic and throw the ball.”

He also reposted another message on X that suggested 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 anytime one of my teammates goes down because I love them that much," Carr said. “No matter if I like them or not, and I happen to love Chris Olave. We have a great relationship. I hate, and I don’t like to use that word a lot, but I hate moments like that.”

Carr said Thomas seems to be the one teammate that hasn't gotten along with him in the NFL.

“I don’t what I did to him," Carr said. “I don’t why he feels that way. I’m sorry for whatever he’s dealing with to make him feel like he’s got do that. But he’s never called me during all of this. My phone number has never changed. I’ve in fact called him on different occasions just to try. Sometimes, you can try as hard as you want and it doesn’t work out. And that’s OK. ... But I wish him the best. I hope he gets on a team and does what he wants to do and loves 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 Sept. 29 during the third quarter of the Bengals’ win.

Woods said after the game he didn't think it was a malicious hit, but officials told him he was penalized for hitting Olave in the head.

“I lowered my shoulder and I think I hit in in the chest, but I haven't seen it," Woods said. “I know I hit him with my shoulders definitely.”

Woods said he planned to reach out to Olave.

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

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Steve Reed, The Associated Press