| The Detroit News
After announcing two positive COVID-19 tests within the organization on Tuesday, the Detroit Lions now face a greater challenge after a number of the team’s coaches, including most of the defensive staff and interim coach Darrell Bevell, have been deemed to be high-risk close contacts, according to an NFL Network report.
As it currently stands, Saturday’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remains on schedule and the Lions still intend to practice Wednesday after no new positive tests.
“As a result of the contact tracing process, several coaches will remain away from the team facility until further notice,” the team said in a statement. “We anticipate conducting an outdoor practice this afternoon and our players and coaches will continue to meet virtually this morning.”
Assuming they continue to test negative, those coaches who were considered close contacts should be able to coach by Saturday. For players, the league requires a five-day quarantine for high-risk close contacts, and the Lions’ positive cases stem from Sunday’s travel back from Nashville after the team’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
Since the team worked virtually on both Monday and Tuesday, those coaches should be able to clear quarantine ahead of Saturday.
On Tuesday, Bevell said the Lions have gotten used to making schedule adjustments during the pandemic.
“For sure, we’re used to the changes, the twist and turns that have been thrown our way during this 2020,” he said. “I think everybody’s dealing with that. Fortunately, through the offseason and through the things that we’re doing during the season, we’ve been able to get pretty adept with the Zoom meetings and how to handle all the information that we need to pass back and forth with the players and the coaches. So I think we’re in a good spot with it. We were going to have a walk-through practice (Tuesday) anyway with the shorter week, so obviously we won’t have that today. I still want to be conscious of their bodies and their legs, so we were going to do that. This is just another way to take a day off.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers