All three of the Chicago Bears‘ coordinators are in the COVID-19 protocols, coach Matt Nagy said Thursday.
Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, defensive coordinator Sean Desai and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor are all working remotely, Nagy said. Their status for Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings is uncertain.
“I don’t know either way,” Nagy said of the coaches’ potential availability for Monday’s game. “We’re prepared if they are, and we’re prepared if they’re not.”
According to NFL protocols, vaccinated Tier 1 staff members can return to normal work conditions when they produce two negative COVID-19 tests with 24 hours in between. In response to a surge of positive tests this week, mostly among players, the NFL has discussed the possibility of reducing the amount of time required to test out of the protocols.
Nagy missed the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers while in the COVID-19 protocols. Tabor handled the head-coaching duties for that game.
Nagy did not say who would cover his coordinators’ jobs if they aren’t available Monday night, but he did note that longtime NFL defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is on the staff as a senior defensive assistant. At different times this season, both Lazor and Nagy have called offensive plays.
The Bears will follow the NFL’s enhanced protocols for at least the next few days, Nagy said. On Thursday, that meant a walkthrough instead of a full practice, and then virtual meetings as well as mask-wearing among both vaccinated and unvaccinated players and employees in the building. Nagy said he was not sure if the Bears would have a full practice Friday.