Michael Strahan Has COVID-19, Explaining ‘NFL on Fox’ Absence

Good Morning America personality Michael Strahan has been absent from the show all week, leading to concerns about his health. He has now confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19. He has remained in quarantine and even appeared on NFL on FOX remotely during Sunday’s pregame show.

According to TMZ, Strahan learned on Saturday that he had been exposed at some point during the week prior. He immediately began taking precautions and went into quarantine. He reportedly plans on appearing on GMA at some point this week to discuss his diagnosis and his symptoms. However, he has avoided any severe symptoms so far.

The outlet also reports that Strahan is not the only member of the family exposed to the virus. His twin daughters came into contact with him after he had been exposed. They have been tested and are waiting for their results. Similarly, their mother, Jean Muggli, also got tested due to having the daughters live with her most of the time.

With the positive test, there are also concerns about a virtual Pro Bowl event involving Strahan. He will partner with Charissa Thompson to host Pro Bowl: The Madden NFL 21 Edition on Sunday. This virtual event will pit several prominent figures against each other in digital football. The list of guests includes Deshaun Watson, Derrick Henry, Snoop Dogg, Marshawn Lynch, Jamal Adams, Kyler Murray, Keyshawn Johnson and Bubba Wallace. If healthy, Strahan will likely appear virtually to help provide entertainment during a unique year.

This positive test is not the first time that Strahan has dealt with coronavirus concerns. He previously had to miss a FOX pregame show in late November along with Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw. The trio was swapped out for Reggie Bush, Charles Woodson and Chris Myers.

“In accordance with CDC guidance, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health safety guidelines — and out of an abundance of caution for our team — Sunday’s Fox NFL Kickoff and Fox NFL Sunday pregame show from our Los Angeles studio will not include their regular casts,” FOX said in a statement announcing the news. The network did not reveal whether any of the cast members had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Besides removing the trio of hosts from the show, FOX also sidelined insider Jay Glazer, who regularly appears to provide updates about contract situations and injuries. Regular co-host Jimmy Johnson, on the other hand, has spent the entire season working remotely due to coronavirus concerns.