Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently in self-quarantine. The team announced the news on Sunday night, and Pederson revealed the news at a team meeting, according to ESPN. He told his players after getting a second positive test.
“We received confirmation this evening that Head Coach Doug Pederson tested positive for COVID-19,” the team said in a statement. Pederson is asymptomatic and doing well. He is currently in self-quarantine and in communication with the team’s medical staff. The organization is following the protocols established by the NFL and the NFLPA. Any individuals in close contact with Pederson at our facility have been notified and will continue daily testing procedures and compliance with all protocols before returning to the facility.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
It is believed that Pederson contracted COVID-19 outside the team’s facility. In order to return to work, the 52-year old coach will need to have multiple negative tests. For the time being, running backs coach/assistant head coach Duce Staley will take over as the head coach. Pederson is the second NFL head coach known to have tested positive for COVID-19. The first was New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton who shared the news back in March.
Days before Pederson tested positive for the coronavirus, he spoke to reporters about working at the facility amid the pandemic. “We can’t control everything,” Pederson said. “There probably are going to be some things that come up down the road, but right now, I feel extremely safe, and this is a great environment for our players to succeed in.”
The NFL is doing everything it can to start the season on time, but there have been challenges as training camp begins. As of Monday morning, 43 players have opted out of the 2020 season because of the pandemic, including New England Patriots safety Dont’a Hightower, New York Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley and Kansas City Chiefs running back Damien Williams. Also, a number of players have been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list including Jacksonville Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Pederson has been the Eagles’ head coach since 2016. He led the team to a Super Bowl win the following year and have reached the playoffs the last three seasons. Pederson was also an NFL player for 1991-2004, winning a Super Bowl when he was a backup QB for the Green Bay Packers in 1996.
