Olave of the Saints sustains a concussion; Carr addresses Thomas' outburst.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave returned home with the team on Sunday after being evaluated at a local hospital following his second concussion of the season. Olave entered the league's concussion protocol for the fourth time in his career after suffering a head injury midway through the first quarter of the Saints' narrow 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

"Thank God, appreciate all the love and prayers. I'm gonna be alright," Olave posted on his X account after the game.

The injury occurred when Olave was hit in the head and neck by Panthers safety Xavier Woods while trying to catch a high pass from quarterback Derek Carr. Woods was penalized for unnecessary roughness, marking his ninth such infraction since entering the NFL in 2017, the most in the league during that timeframe.

After the hit, Olave remained on the ground and was eventually placed on a backboard, transported on a cart off the field, and taken to the hospital. Players from both teams gathered around him as medical staff attended to the situation, and he shared some high-fives with teammates before leaving.

Former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas took to social media to express his thoughts on Carr, seemingly blaming him for Olave's concussion. "Dude. Scary and panic and just throw the ball," Thomas tweeted, adding, "Get him the f out of here he is so ass."

Thomas, who was released by the Saints in March after an eight-year stint, has criticized Carr multiple times this season. He previously mentioned feeling "set up by a bad ball" related to a season-ending injury he sustained after catching a pass from Carr last November.

In response to Thomas’ latest comments, Carr acknowledged that he has love for Thomas but disagreed with his criticisms. "I've had so many teammates over the years, and he's like the one dude that didn't get along with me. I don't know what I did to him or why he feels that way," Carr said. He expressed concern for Olave and noted that he would never intentionally put a teammate in harm's way. "I have a pit in my stomach any time one of my teammates goes down," he added.

Carr checked on Olave after the game to ensure he was doing well. Thomas's post caught the attention of Olave's brother, Josh, who responded with a "100" emoji, emphasizing that there was no jealousy involved.

Olave was previously diagnosed with concussions in his rookie season in 2022 and had another this season after catching a pass from Spencer Rattler against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6. He also suffered a hard hit in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers last week but returned after being evaluated.

After missing the Saints' game on October 17 due to his last concussion, Olave had switched to a new helmet model.