Dorenbos is dealing with a heart condition
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said on Friday he « absolutely » expected the team’s trade for Jon Dorenbos to be rescinded after doctors discovered the former Philadelphia Eagles long snapper was dealing with a serious heart condition.
On Sunday, a report indicated that Payton’s expectation was, for the most part, fulfilled.
The Eagles sent the 2019 seventh-round pick from the trade back to the Saints, according to a report by Philadelphia radio and TV host Howard Eskin. An ESPN report confirmed the initial report, too, but two Saints officials did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
Dorenbos, 37, will soon undergo heart surgery to fix an aortic aneurysm. Payton said Dorenbos has had a heart condition for his whole life, but team physician Dr. John Amoss discovered the worrisome issue on a followup physical after the trade on Aug. 28.
It’s unclear if the trade will officially be rescinded, but it seems like a good faith move by the Eagles to effectively nullify the deal. In some ways, the trade was the key reason Dorenbos’ worsening condition was discovered, and Payton said the diagnosis saved his life.
« He and I have had a lot chances to reflect on the last two days, » Payton said on Saturday. « He’s an amazing guy, and his perspective as you can imagine has been outstanding. And he looks at it in a significant way in which you could argue the trade itself saved his life. »
One reason the trade might not truly be rescinded is that it was officially processed before Dr. Amoss found the problem. Dorenbos even played in a preseason game with the Saints.
With Dorenbos on the non-football illness list, the Saints signed Zach Wood to be the long snapper.
