Saints receiver Chris Olave was sidelined against Tampa Bay due to an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints starting receiver Chris Olave was taken off the field to the locker room to be evaluated for a possible concussion after suffering a helmet-to-helmet blow while throwing a Lost fumble that was returned for a touchdown in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Moments after catching a pass from Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, Olave was about to be taken out of the game by Buccaneers defensive back Tykee Smith when the receiver took a heavy hit to the head from cornerback Zyon McCollum .

Olave sat on the field, apparently dazed, while Bucs safety Antoine Winfield picked up the loose ball and ran it back 58 yards, giving Tampa Bay a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

No flag was thrown on the play that was reviewed by the rule because it involved a turnover. Referee Clete Blakeman watched video that clearly showed the helmet-to-helmet strike, but his review was limited to whether Olave completed the catch before being stripped.

Blakemen then announced his decision that the fumble — and the resulting Bucs score — would stand up to a Superdome crowd that had also seen replays and had booed in apparent anger over the missed personal foul that hit the No. 1 receiver who placed the Saints in the concussion protocol and out of the game.

Olave, a 2022 first-round draft pick from Ohio State, came into the game with 22 catches for 275 yards and a touchdown through the first five weeks of the season.

Olave has been listed in the NFL's concussion protocol twice in the last three NFL seasons.

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