The New Orleans Saints are expected to have wide receiver Chris Olave and edge rusher Chase Young available for Sunday’s Week 2 game against the Baltimore Ravens, a meaningful change from the late-week uncertainty surrounding both players.
Olave is dealing with a hamstring injury and Young with a calf issue. Both were added to the Saints’ injury report Thursday, remained limited Friday and received questionable designations. Sunday-morning reporting now points toward both being active.
That updates FSN’s earlier coverage of Olave and Young being added to the injury report, when their availability was still unresolved.
Olave’s outlook has improved since Friday
The biggest change is that Olave has moved from a player whose status had to be monitored through the weekend to one who is expected to play. The Saints officially listed him as questionable after limited participation on both Thursday and Friday, and he traveled with the team to Baltimore on Saturday.
NBC Sports reported Sunday morning that Olave is expected to be in the lineup. That does not guarantee a normal snap count or remove all risk of an in-game setback, but it is a much more encouraging development than the uncertainty created when the hamstring issue first appeared late in the practice week.
Olave’s availability matters because he immediately established himself as the center of New Orleans’ passing game in Week 1. He caught 10 passes for 182 yards in the overtime loss to Detroit, giving quarterback Tyler Shough a high-volume target who could threaten defenses at multiple levels.
Chase Young is also expected to go
Young followed essentially the same injury-report path. He was a new Thursday addition because of a calf issue, practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday and was listed questionable.
Sunday’s update indicates Young is also expected to play. For New Orleans, that helps preserve the edge rotation in a matchup with a Baltimore offense built around Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
The Saints are also getting veteran help elsewhere on defense. Cameron Jordan is set to make his season debut after progressing through the week, giving New Orleans another experienced front-seven option against Baltimore’s run game and play-action attack.
What the update changes for Saints-Ravens
New Orleans entered the weekend with uncertainty around two important starters, and the expected availability of both changes the matchup on each side of the ball.
With Olave expected to play, the Saints can keep the passing-game structure that produced 469 total yards in Week 1 rather than having to redistribute his target volume at the last minute. His hamstring still bears watching, but simply having him available keeps the Ravens from preparing for a Saints offense without its most productive Week 1 receiver.
Young’s expected availability similarly keeps a key pass-rush option in the defensive plan. Baltimore’s offense was explosive in its opener, but the Ravens will be without one of their own top playmakers after Zay Flowers was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Expected to play is not the same as fully cleared
The Saints had not removed either Olave or Young from the official injury report; both carried questionable designations into the weekend. Final active and inactive lists will provide the formal game-day confirmation.
Even if both are active as expected, their usage is worth monitoring early. Late-week soft-tissue injuries can affect workload and effectiveness even when a player is able to dress. The key development for now is that New Orleans appears likely to have both players available rather than needing emergency replacements at two high-impact positions.
Sources
- New Orleans Saints: Friday Week 2 injury report vs. Baltimore (September 18, 2026)
- NBC Sports: Olave and Young expected to play in Saints-Ravens (September 20, 2026)
- NFL: Week 2 injury statuses (accessed September 20, 2026)