New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Tony McDaniel was put in the mother of all tough spots Sunday evening.
And it was all over a false alarm.
In the middle of his team’s NFC Wild Card Round matchup with the Carolina Panthers, McDaniel was informed that his wife had gone into labor, FOX Sports’ Erin Andrews reported after halftime. Saints head coach Sean Payton gave McDaniel the option to either stay in the game or to go be with his wife, and McDaniel stayed.
Saints DT Tony McDaniel's wife is in labor, and Sean Payton told him mid-game and gave him the option to stay or go, according to Erin Andrews.
He chose to stay. pic.twitter.com/PbmpAIYUNe
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 7, 2018
… But there’s a catch.
McDaniel left the game during the third quarter with a leg injury. He reportedly then was told that his wife was taken to a hospital and treated for a stomach bug — not put into labor. That, of course, makes this hypothetical fascinating to think about:
Imagine if Tony McDaniel left the playoff game to be with wife in labor … only to find out she had a stomach bug??
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) January 7, 2018
Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
But that’s nothing new for the 32-year-old McDaniel, who’s seen his fair share of ups and downs since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2006. A former Tennessee Volunteer, McDaniel has played for six teams in his 12-year career. The Saints signed McDaniel in June, released him in September then re-signed him in December after he spent roughly a month with the San Francisco 49ers.
