METAIRIE, La. -- Nick Fairley and the New Orleans Saints are awaiting the results of a third opinion on his heart issue, according to Saints coach Sean Payton, as they determine whether the veteran defensive tackle will be medically cleared to keep playing.
Payton said a first specialist recommended that Fairley "shouldn't play football again," but that a second opinion "was a little different."
"I would say it's still ongoing," Payton said. "And obviously there's concern, but there isn't a final answer.
"... The things we know are this -- it's obviously something significant and serious that we've gotta pay attention to, obviously both for Nick and for the club. So we're hopeful, and yet we're guarded, because of the type of condition we're talking about."
Fairley, who just signed a four-year contract worth $28 million-$30 million in March, has not participated with the Saints throughout the offseason conditioning program and OTA practices -- though Payton indicated Fairley wants to play and be around the team if he is able to get medical approval.
Payton explained that the latest "alerts" over Fairley's heart arose during his physical examination around the time he signed his new deal.
The heart issue wasn't completely new. Payton said Fairley was discovered to have an enlarged heart when he was first tested at the NFL scouting combine in 2011, and that it was "not very uncommon ... something that a lot of athletes that we see during the physicals have."
Fairley also passed a physical exam with the same Saints doctors last year when he signed a one-year deal. However, Payton said those doctors noted a new concern during his physical exam this year.
"Listen, I think that like every one of us, it's not constant. There's ongoing change. And so the one report or examination indicated some change that was concerning," Payton said. "That's why he hasn't been doing anything right now until we get a better feel for where he's at.
"So we're hoping. We're obviously wanting to get every expert's eyes on the study and examinations. And I'm sure Nick and his agent feel the same way. But it's challenging."
It's unclear if a contract dispute will arise if Fairley is not cleared to play. His deal included an $8 million signing bonus and $14 million in guarantees.
Payton wasn't directly asked about Fairley's contract status, but he was asked if the physical was done before the new deal was signed.
"That's the ongoing challenge," said Payton, "because part of the process was during that evaluation.
"Look, the most important thing right now in our mind is his well-being. And when it's something like that, it's important. ... To play this game, there's a little bit of mental toughness involved obviously. And I want to make sure if, in fact, he's playing it again, that he's playing with full confidence that he's healthy to play and that nothing severe would come of him playing. So that's why he's not been here. We haven't been trying to hide him or any of that."
Saints quarterback Drew Brees and veteran defensive linemen Cameron Jordan and Darryl Tapp all said they don't fully know what Fairley is dealing with, but they have been praying for him.
"The whole team is praying for him and obviously hoping that everything ends up being OK," Brees said. "Obviously that's not something you mess around with. It's a very serious issue, and you just want to make sure that his heart's good, everything's good, and then we'll kind of see where we're at. But obviously hopefully he's OK and he's able to play, and he's just able to live a healthy life."
Fairley has apparently been out of contact with all or most of his teammates during this process, but Payton said he's been in touch with Fairley.
"At first, [Fairley was] a little surprised," Payton said. "But I think his spirits overall have been good. He certainly wants to be out here.
"... There's two ways to look at it. The potential bad news is you don't play football again. The potential good news is you lead a healthy life with the condition that you know you have and treat accordingly. In the event there's enough confidence that he can play, then we broach that when the time comes."