Eagles coach Doug Pederson tests positive for COVID-19

This story originally appeared on NBC10.

___

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Sunday night.

Pederson, 52, is asymptomatic and doing well, the team said. He is currently in self-quarantine and communicating with the team’s medical staff.

pic.twitter.com/x99Lr9iXzo

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 3, 2020

A source confirmed with John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia that Duce Staley will take over coaching duties in person at the NovaCare complex while Pederson recovers. Pederson will continue to lead the team virtually.

ESPN’s Tim McManus first reported that Pederson informed his players on Sunday night after a second positive test.

Source confirms Duce Staley will take over coaching duties in person at NovaCare complex while Doug Pederson is out with Coronavirus

Doug will continue to lead the team virtually#Eagles pic.twitter.com/9xzLUn6Ypi

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 3, 2020

Pederson is the second known NFL head coach to test positive for COVID-19 after Saints’ head coach Sean Payton had it in March.

Just last week, Pederson said he felt “extremely safe” inside the NovaCare Complex.

“Obviously, coming into it there might have been some skepticism about the testing and the screenings that go on, but it’s very thorough,” Pederson said to reporters on a Zoom call last week. “When you’re here and you get tested in the morning, you’ve got a screening process that you have to go through to get into the building, wearing masks in the building, everywhere we go, I feel extremely safe.”

According to ESPN, it is believed Pederson contracted the coronavirus outside of the NovaCare Complex. ESPN also reported that another staff member who was in close contact with Pederson was also sent home.

Last week, the Eagles placed three players — Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Nathan Gerry — on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. The Reserve/COVID-19 list is for players who either test positive or who have been exposed to someone who has. Johnson later announced that he tested positive.

In addition to the three players put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Eagles also had one player opt out already. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin opted out of the season because of family reasons.

After testing positive, Pederson will obviously miss some time at the facility. Pederson last Monday stressed the need for contingency plans, not just for players, but for coaches too.

“We have to have a plan for everything as you know,” he said. “One of the things that we’ve been faced with, and I think we’ve done a really good job here is we’ve overcome some of the injuries we’ve had the last couple of seasons. We’ve coached that next guy, or that next player has been able to go in and perform at a high level, but now I think that has to carry over to the coaching staff as you mentioned.

“I think there has to be a plan in place for any coach or any staff member that may miss a couple days or a couple weeks because of the virus.

“So those are all things that are running through my mind. Again, we are in a different environment and we all have to do our part to protect ourselves, protect our players and our families and hopefully we minimize any setbacks.”