Cardinals Kliff Kingsbury wont coach Sunday after positive coronavirus test
The NFL season has been relatively unaffected thus far by coronavirus-related disruptions. But the Arizona Cardinals encountered issues this week and announced Friday that Coach Kliff Kingsbury will miss Sundays game at Cleveland after he tested positive for the virus.
Kingsbury becomes the first NFL head coach to miss a game this season under the coronavirus protocols.
According to the Cardinals, quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and defensive tackle Zach Allen also tested positive for the coronavirus and will miss Sunday's game.
All NFL coaches are required to be vaccinated to maintain their eligibility to work closely with players. Under the protocols developed by the league and the NFL Players Association, a vaccinated staffer or player can return to team activities by remaining free of symptoms and having two negative coronavirus tests 24 hours apart.
Any unvaccinated player who tests positive, by contrast, must be in isolation for at least 10 days.
The Cardinals placed linebacker Chandler Jones on their covid-19 reserve list Tuesday. That list is for players who test positive and those identified through contact tracing as having been exposed to the virus.
The team said that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers will share head coaching duties Sunday. Joseph is the former head coach of the Denver Broncos. The Cardinals, at 5-0, are the NFL's only remaining unbeaten team.
By Mark Maske