METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says Nick Fairley has been placed on the team's non-football illness list, meaning the starting defensive tackle won't play this season.
The 6-foot-4, 308-pound Fairley had arguably the best season of his career with New Orleans in 2016. The 2011 first-round pick by Detroit out of Auburn played in all 16 games and had a career-high 6½ sacks.
However, symptoms related to an enlarged heart caused Fairley to miss offseason practices and minicamp while he saw specialists to determine whether playing football would be an undue health risk.