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Just like the rest of the world, the NFL and its players and coaches have been dealing with the reality of COVID-19 since the start of the 2020 season. Players and coaches continue to miss time in 2021 because of the virus, and the Dallas Cowboys were hit with a rough positive test this week.
Head coach Mike McCarthy tested positive for COVID-19 and will now miss Thursday's game against the New Orleans Saints. That brings to mind other NFL head coaches who have had to miss time because of the virus. Let's look at a few of the most notable instances where an NFL team lost its leader for some time due to the virus.
NFL head coaches who missed time due to COVID-19
Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears head coach has spent all of the 2021 NFL season on the hot seat. In addition, Matt Nagy had to miss his team's Halloween showdown against the San Francisco 49ers this season because he tested positive for COVID-19.
The good news for Nagy is that he was fully vaccinated, so he was able to return a week later without any complications. Unfortunately for him, his Bears lost without him in Week 8 and then lost with him in Week 9. The losing streak hit five games before a last-second win over the winless Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals were dealt a surprising blow heading into a Week 6 matchup this year with the Cleveland Browns. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss the game after a 5-0 start to the year.
Yet as we know now, the Cardinals cruised to a 37-14 victory against a Browns team that was overhyped from the start. That got the Cardinals to 6-0 and the team reached 7-0 when their coach returned.
Kingsbury had it rough because he missed a game and then spent most of the next week working remotely. Luckily, his return came against a lowly Houston Texans team in what was an easy win for the Cardinals.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski's positive COVID-19 test is the most notable of all because of when it occurred. He had just guided the Cleveland Browns to the NFL postseason in 2020, and during the week of preparation, he tested positive for the virus.
That left his team to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers without their head coach who had done so well he was named AP NFL Coach of the Year. Somehow, the Browns put up 48 points to shock the Steelers and advance to the Divisional Round.
Stefanski's positive test came back during the 2020 NFL season before vaccines were available to the general public. It served as a tough reminder of the reality of the virus, which was also driven home by the nearly empty stadium in Pittsburgh.
The good news is that the coach recovered and returned. The same will hopefully be true with McCarthy in the coming weeks.
