Chris Olave returns to Saints practice, but Demario Davis leaves

Let’s start with the good news. Chris Olave returned to practice at New Orleans Saints training camp on Wednesday, having exited the previous day’s session after a scary fall. And he was in good enough spirits to scrap with his teammate Paulson Adebo when drills got too chippy. It’s safe to say the Saints’ leading receiver isn’t missing a beat.

Now the bad news. Star linebacker Demario Davis left Wednesday’s practice session early with what head coach Dennis Allen said afterwards was a hamstring injury. Soft tissue injuries like these are common early in camp, and the intensity has picked up with players running at full speed in pads, so it’s not too surprising.

But it also goes to show that we may be taking Davis for granted. He’s the oldest linebacker in the NFL — not just among starters, but the entire position group. He’s been remarkably consistent since coming to New Orleans but he won’t be here forever. We’ll monitor his progress in recovery, but this is a big opportunity for Pete Werner and Willie Gay Jr. (both of whom are free agents in 2025) to show why they could be the future of the position for the Saints.