New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Chris Olave Was Arrested for Reckless Driving

The Gist:

• Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was arrested on Oct. 23, 2023, for "reckless operation of a motor vehicle" after going 70 mph in a 35 mph zone.
• He was booked and then released on the same night.
• Reporting suggests that Chris did not resist arrest after he was stopped.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave had a tough October 2023. His performance on the field came under scrutiny after he was accused of running the wrong routes during games, and he faced difficulties off the field as well.

After news broke that Chris, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Ohio State, had been arrested, many naturally wondered what happened, and whether it would put the rest of his season with the Saints in jeopardy.

Chris was arrested on Oct. 23, 2023, for "reckless operation of a motor vehicle" after he was caught driving 35 miles per hour over the posted speed limit in Kenner, La., which is a suburb outside of New Orleans. Chris was stopped by police and ultimately arrested, and reports suggest that he cooperated with police as they placed him in custody.

The Kenner Police Department released a statement following the arrest, writing that "New Orleans Saints player Chris Olave was arrested tonight for Reckless Operation, city ordinance, driving 70 mph in 35 mph zone. The incident occurred in the 1700 block of Joe Yenni Boulevard."

Louisiana law states that a person who is found guilty of reckless operation as a first-time offender cannot be charged more than $200, or spend more than 90 days in prison. Of course, if you've been charged for a previous infraction, the maximum fine goes up to $500 and the maximum jail sentence goes up to six months. It seems like Chris would be considered a first-time offender under the statute.

Chris's brother, John Olave, wrote on social media: "Bro was on the way back to the crib from CVS...aint nun serious."

Per USA Today's Saints Wire, these kinds of traffic violations have not typically led to suspensions from the NFL in the past. "The Saints may issue disciple internally, but this shouldn’t dramatically impact Olave’s availability moving forward," the outlet noted.

Chris started the season well, averaging more than 100 receiving yards through the first three games of the season. He was a candidate to win the 2022 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year trophy, and he already has 1,500 career receiving yards to his name.