New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Chris Olave, Rashid Shaeed In Line To Thrive Ahead If 2024 NFL Season

After an impressive 2023 season, third-year wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have even more opportunity ahead of them in 2024.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023. / Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA

No New Orleans Saints players have garnered more off-season hype than wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. From fantasy football experts to the NFL’s own social media pages, the two have gotten a lot of much-deserved attention over the last few months. And for good reason. 

Olave is coming off of his second-straight 1,000-yard receiving season and is stepping into an offense that promises to elevate his skills set. Similarly, Shaheed is coming off of an All-Pro and Pro Bowl season in 2023, looking to capitalize on that momentum. His post-season team awards are based on his impressive year as a returner, but his contributions on offense are hard to ignore. 

Shaheed and Olave combined for more than 1,800 receiving yards (43.6% of the team’s total) and 10 touchdown receptions. They also commanded 36.8% of the team’s target share in the passing game. Already a successful tandem, the two now step into the center-focus off of the offense in 2024. 

New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will lean on both Olave and Shaheed quite a bit with the team’s expected boost in two-wide receiver sets. For the first time, there is no other receiver ahead of the dynamic duo as the season begins. The team parted ways with longtime receiver Michael Thomas this offseason. 

This clears the path for both Olave and Shaheed to be the bona fide No. 1 and No. 2 options in the offense’s air attack. An attack that should now be aided with a greater incorporation of motion, play action and innovative play design. A great set up for the two pass-catchers to further their league-wide profiles.