The new surge of COVID-19 cases has upended rosters across the NFL in recent weeks. But players haven’t been the only ones affected.
Multiple head coaches have been forced to watch games from home after testing positive for COVID. That list includes Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints), Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals), Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys), Robert Saleh (New York Jets) and Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns), who also had to miss a playoff game last season.
Earlier this week, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians announced he had tested positive, putting his status for Sunday’s matchup with the Jets in doubt.
The New England Patriots have been fortunate in that regard. They have not had a single coach land on the reserve/COVID-19 list since it was instituted last season. But if head coach Bill Belichick did, how would the Patriots replace him on game day?
Belichick was asked that question during his Wednesday morning video conference. He declined to reveal specifics but expressed confidence in his coaching staff.
“We would do the best we could,” Belichick said. “We have a good coaching staff. We have a lot of good coaches.”
Josh McDaniels is the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. New England does not have an official defensive coordinator, with Belichick sharing those duties with outside linebackers coach Steve Belichick and inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo.
Former Patriots DC Matt Patricia returned to the team this season in a wide-ranging role of “senior football advisor” and would be a candidate to lead the Patriots’ game-day operation in Belichick’s absence.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Sunday shared his “hunch” that New England would replace Belichick with a “combo” of McDaniels and Patricia. The Cardinals used a similar setup, with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers splitting head-coaching duties when Kingsbury missed a game in October.
The Patriots have placed five players on the COVID list this week as they prepare for Sunday’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars: linebackers Matthew Judon, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Josh Uche, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer and special teamer Brandon King. Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson and linebacker Harvey Langi were activated off COVID reserve on Wednesday.
“I think it’s close to 500 players the last couple weeks that have been on some kind of COVID reserve or that type of thing,” Belichick said. “The numbers are very high. As far as I know, every team in the league’s dealing with it, and there are different types of problems. Player availability is certainly one, but then there are others logistically, as well.
“We don’t travel this week; we travel next week, but even going back a couple weeks, there were some things that were a little challenging. But I think by the time we travel in these protocols, I think it will be even a little bit more restrictive. But I think everybody just wants to find a way to continue to play and finish the season. So if this is what it is, that’s what it is.”
