Whatever ends up happening with Fairley — and we all hope the news is good — McDaniel’s signing means nothing about his chances. The Saints made a precautionary move. Minicamp is over and if the Saints don’t ink McDaniel, there’s a chance he lands elsewhere. And with Fairley’s future very much up in the air, that’s a situation the Saints can’t afford.
But this does not suggest that the Saints expect Fairley’s career has ended. As Sean Payton said at the end of Minicamp, after word of McDaniel’s contract emerged, the Saints have not heard back from the third doctor.