Fairley (illness) was placed on the Saints' reserve/non-football injury list Monday, effectively ending his 2017 campaign, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
Fairley's future in the league has been put into serious question due to his heart condition, which was first revealed earlier this month. The issue comes just a year after the 29-year-old recorded career highs with 43 tackles (29 solo) and 6.5 sacks across 16 games in New Orleans. It's a devastating blow for the Saints defense, and Fairley's absence leaves David Onyemata and Tony McDaniel as the frontrunners to fill in for him along the line. At this point, it seems like the safest option for Fairley is to hang up the cleats for good.