New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive for COVID-19 and has entered NFL protocols, the team announced Friday. This rules Payton out for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen stepping in to handle head coaching duties this week. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael will call plays.
Payton missed Wednesday’s practice earlier this week with an illness but tested negative for COVID-19 and returned on Thursday, but he’s no away from the team. He’s also fully vaccinated and may return upon clearing league protocols, and the expectation is that he will be back for next week’s Monday night game with the Miami Dolphins. But he could miss up to 10 days if he continues to test positive, so we shouldn’t lock that in just yet.
It’s obviously a big loss. Let’s hope this is an isolated incident and no further COVID-19 cases emerge in New Orleans as outbreaks spread across the NFL.
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