METAIRIE, La. -- Long snapper Jon Dorenbos will require open heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm that was discovered in a follow-up physical after his trade from the Philadelphia Eagles to the New Orleans Saints, according to Saints coach Sean Payton.
Payton credited Saints physician Dr. John Amoss, who first discovered the red flag and "basically saved his life with his findings." Dorenbos, 37, will require surgery "pretty quickly" and will be placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list.
The Saints signed Zach Wood to replace Dorenbos on Friday, according to his agent, Mike Abadir. Wood spent the past two offseasons with the Dallas Cowboys as both a long snapper and defensive lineman after going undrafted out of SMU. The Saints also worked out long snappers John DePalma, Colin Holba, Jeff Overbaugh and Tanner Purdum, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The trade (for a 2019 seventh-round pick) will likely be rescinded. But Payton stressed that there was "a blessing" to the unfortunate news. He said this was an issue that Dorenbos had "genetically at birth" but couldn't say why it had not been discovered on previous physicals.
Dorenbos spent the past 11 years with the Eagles after starting his career with the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, and he had become one of the most beloved players among teammates and fans alike. He appeared in a franchise-record 162 consecutive regular-season games in Philly, tying wide receiver Harold Carmichael, and earned two Pro Bowl berths with the Eagles.
"Jon Dorenbos is like family to me and the Eagles," said Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffery Lurie via statement. "We are concerned for Jon first and foremost. Our thoughts are with him and his wife. At this time, we are all waiting to learn more about his situation."
Dorenbos has also become a celebrity because of his remarkable talents as a magician, which made him a finalist on the NBC show "America's Got Talent" in 2016.
And he has been an inspirational public speaker for overcoming tragedy early in his life. Dorenbos' father killed his mother when Dorenbos was 12, and he turned to magic as a way to deal with the tragedy. He has shared his story openly to help those who are faced with tragic situations.
Saints punter Thomas Morstead, who has gotten to know Dorenbos over the years, said they were together when Dorenbos got the call from the doctor.
"It's obviously tough for him, scary. Probably fortunate that he was traded because then they found it and they saved his life. So it's a lot of different emotions," Morstead said. "And I'm just praying Jon will do whatever has to be done ... and be happy and healthy after that."
This is the second time this year that the Saints have had to place a veteran on the NFI list because of a heart issue, following defensive tackle Nick Fairley earlier this offseason. Payton said the two cases are different, though both times the issues were discovered in follow-up physicals.
It also adds to a surprisingly difficult offseason for the Saints in terms of finding a long snapper. They decided to move on from veteran Justin Drescher to start the offseason but tried out three other long snappers before turning back to Drescher during training camp. Then Drescher got injured, and the Saints made the trade for Dorenbos. Whichever long snapper they sign after Friday's tryout will be their sixth of the offseason.
"It's been a little bit of a circus with snappers this year," said Morstead -- though he pointed out that Drescher first arrived under similar circumstances a few days before a Thursday win in 2010, then lasted in the role for seven years. "So it's just next guy up, and we'll get him up to speed as quick as we possibly can. And no one cares. It's all about being ready Monday."