Eagles coach Doug Pederson tests positive for coronavirus
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has contracted COVID-19, the team announced on Sunday night, making him the second head coach in the league known to have contracted the coronavirus.
Pederson informed his team of his diagnosis on Sunday night following a second positive test, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus. He is asymptomatic and “doing well,” and is isolating at home.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 3, 2020
Pederson is preparing to enter his fifth season leading the Eagles. He’s compiled a 38-26 record, going 9-7 in each of the past two seasons following a Super Bowl title run in 2017.
The 52-year-old had said last week that he felt “extremely safe” at the team’s facility.
“This is our bubble right here at NovaCare. I can't control everything, we can't control everything,” Pederson said, via ESPN. “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.”
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He is the second coach in the league to reveal his coronavirus diagnosis, following New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton in March.
Eagles assistant Duce Staley will assume Pederson’s in-person responsibilities while he’s recovering, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. Pederson is planning to try to remain involved with the Eagles virtually until he has been cleared to rejoin the team.
There were more than 4.6 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States as of Sunday night, according to The New York Times, and more than 155,000 deaths attributed to it. Pennsylvania had more than 118,000 cases, and has averaged just more than 900 new cases a day over the past week.
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