Nick Fairley didn't participate in the Saints' 2017 season because of a reported heart condition. Now, a day after the 2017 season wrapped up with the Eagles' win over the Patriots in the Super Bowl, his Saints career is reportedly over.
On Monday, ESPN's Field Yates reported that the Saints cut Fairley with a non-football illness designation. In June, Jennifer Hale of Fox Sports reported that tests found "heart trouble that could jeopardize" his football career.
The timing of his cut likely came down to money, as Yates explained below.
On Wednesday of this week, Fairley was due a $750,000 roster bonus and his $4.25M base salary would have become fully guaranteed. Timing was a factor in this decision. https://t.co/gxRrgk2D7P
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 5, 2018
ESPN's Mike Triplett, who covers the Saints, added that the Saints and Fairley "have grievances pending over his contract."
Saints and Nick Fairley still have grievances pending over his contract and how much remains guaranteed, if any https://t.co/nAikbG3D9W
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) February 5, 2018
In January, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that grievances have been filed.
"There's grievances filed, so we have to go through the process," Loomis said, per The Times-Picayune.
Fairley, a first-round pick of the Lions in 2011, joined the Saints in 2016 after an inconsistent run with the Lions (2011-14) and Rams (2015). With the Saints, Fairley registered a career-high 6.5 sacks. So, the Saints signed him to a four-year, $28 million deal with $14 million guaranteed, according to Spotrac. After the report of his heart condition emerged, the Saints put him on the non-football illness/reserve list.
According to The Times-Picayune's Josh Katzenstein, Fairley's career is likely over. If this is the end of his career, Fairley, who turned 30 in January, will finish with 20.5 sacks, 113 solo tackles, and five forced fumbles.
