Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley is seeing multiple heart specialists after one physician advised him to stop playing football, New Orleans coach Sean Payton said yesterday.
“Obviously, there’s concern,” Payton said. “But there isn’t a final answer.”
Payton says he hopes Fairley, who has been absent during recent voluntary offseason practices, can return to the Saints, but the coach said the 29-year-old defensive lineman also should be certain that continuing to play won’t worsen a heart condition that he’s had throughout his six-year NFL career.
Fairley, a former Auburn star and 2011 first-round draft choice by Detroit, was one of the Saints’ top defensive performers last season.