PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has tested positive for the coronavirus and has entered the league’s protocols.
Sirianni said he is hoping to be cleared to coach Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. If he cannot, passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo will assume head coaching duties in his absence while offensive coordinator Shane Steichen will calls the plays on offense.
Sirianni was not feeling well when he woke up Wednesday morning, he said. A subsequent test produced a positive result.
“I’m feeling OK, I’m feeling a little bit better now, which is good,” he said.
Sirianni, in his first season as the Eagles’ head coach, has since checked into a hotel. He still plans on being a part of every meeting virtually this week.
“Everything up until game day will be very normal except I’m not in the building,” he said. “But I’ll be running everything the same way because I’m the head coach. As far as Sunday goes, we’ll play that by ear and see what happens.”
Sirianni said his staff is “good” when asked about their health but added he would be getting more information from the medical staff later in the day regarding “where everybody is as far as that goes.”
The Eagles are operating on a short week, having played the Washington Football Team Tuesday night after a COVID outbreak with Washington led to the game being postponed.
He is the fourth NFL head coach to test positive for the coronavirus, joining the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh, the Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Stefanski and the New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton (twice).