Heart issue threatens Saints lineman’s career

Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley is seeing multiple heart specialists after one physician advised Fairley to stop playing football, Saints head coach Sean Payton said Thursday.

“Obviously, there’s concern,” Payton said. “But there isn’t a final answer.”

Payton said he hopes Fairley, who has been absent during recent voluntary offseason practices, can return to the Saints. But the coach said the 29-year-old defensive lineman also should be certain that continuing to play won’t worsen a heart condition that he’s had during his six-year NFL career.

“The most important thing right now in our mind is his well-being,” Payton said. “To play this game, there’s a little bit of mental toughness involved, obviously. 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.”

Fairley, a former Auburn star and 2011 first-round draft choice by Detroit, was one of New Orleans’ top defensive performers last season. He was credited with 6½ sacks, nine tackles for losses and 22 quarterback hits in 2016.

Bills’ receiver suspended:

The NFL has suspended Buffalo Bills backup receiver Walt Powell for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances.

Without revealing the substance, Powell issued a statement through the team saying he mistakenly used a product that led to the positive test. He apologized and said he accepts the league’s decision.

Powell is entering his fourth NFL season and third with Buffalo. He had 14 catches for 142 yards in nine games before a season-ending injury to his left ankle in late November.

Buffalo is already thin at receiver behind starter Sammy Watkins after losing Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin in free agency in March. Powell is eligible to return Oct. 2.

Murray’s hand in cast: DeMarco Murray was wearing a cast and wrap on his right hand at the Tennessee Titans’ practice, but the running back and coach Mike Mularkey said the injury isn’t serious.

Murray had a minor surgical procedure on his right ring finger last week to correct and issue that been bothering him since the second week of the 2016 season. “It’s nothing serious. Definitely if there was a game, I could play,” Murray said. “We just wanted to get a little jump on it and let it heal.” Giants sign ex-Bill: The New York Giants signed defensive tackle Corbin Bryant and waived center Khaled Holmes.

Bryant played in 56 regularseason games with 18 starts with the Buffalo Bills over the past four seasons. He played in eight games with six starts last season before being sidelined by a shoulder injury Oct. 20.

After playing at Northwestern, Bryant was signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011. He played in one game as a rookie and none in 2012. He joined the Bills the next season. Briefly: The Cardinals signed first-round draft pick Haason Reddick, a linebacker out of Temple, to a four-year contract. ... Defensive end Jordan Willis signed a four-year deal, leaving all of the Bengals’ draft picks under contract.