At least two teams on Monday were dealing with new COVID-19 cases among coaching staff.
Less than 24 hours after getting blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bears head coach Matt Nagy revealed he tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, 200 miles north of Chicago in Green Bay, the Packers announced their defensive coordinator, Joe Barry, was also put on the COVID-19 list.
Nagy will continue to work remotely with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor taking over for any meetings Nagy can’t do virtually. But over at the Packers facility, head coach Matt LaFleur said the whole team entered advanced protocols, with everyone required to wear masks and get tested daily regardless of vaccination status. All of the Packers meetings Monday were also conducted virtually.
Nagy is eligible to come back after returning two negative PCR tests taken 24 hours apart if he is asymptomatic, per the NFL’s health and safety guidelines for vaccinated individuals. If a vaccinated individual is symptomatic, they have to post two negative tests and have no symptoms for 48 hours.
Nagy, who is fully vaccinated, became the fifth Bear to hit the COVID list by Monday — the four others on the team currently on the list are linebacker Robert Quinn, tight end Jimmy Graham, linebacker Caleb Johnson and right tackle Elijah Wilkinson.
When asked about his current state, Nagy, who was speaking to members of the media over Zoom, said he felt “pretty good.”
Including the Bears 38-3 blowout loss Week 7, Nagy’s team has so far gone 3-4 this season and are third in the NFC North. They’ll play the 49ers on Halloween.
But the leash is much shorter for the Packers, who have “potentially some other issues with staff,” according to LaFleur, and have a shortened week, hence the heightened protocol. (The entire Packers coaching staff is fully vaccinated). Barry was with the team for their game against Washington on Sunday.
The Packers play Thursday Night Football against the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals for Week 8. So any new positive test for a player or coach between Monday and game day will result in an automatic out for the individual for the game based on timing for tests and whether the person is symptomatic.
Then later in the day, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said receiver Davante Adams, who is also vaccinated, was put on the reserve/COVID list, as well. He did not say whether Adams tested positive — the list is for those who test positive or are close contacts of those who test positive.
Barry will still help with game preparation remotely and he could technically still make an appearance Thursday. The Packers, however, have started game planning with the mindset he might not be there to call plays on Thursday.
“I think regardless of how we do it, it’ll be a collective effort with everybody involved and having an input,” LaFleur said.
With Associated Press
