The Philadelphia Eagles might have to face the Giants on Sunday without their head coach.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday after he woke up not feeling well. He now plans to attend all team meetings virtually from a hotel.
“I’m feeling a little bit better now, which is good,” he said.
Sirianni said on a Zoom call with reporters that he is hoping to be cleared to coach Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field. But if he can’t, passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo will assume head coach duties and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen will call the plays.
Sirianni tested positive just hours after his Eagles (7-7) had beaten the Washington Football Team, 27-17, on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
The Eagles’ week already had been thrown for a loop when the NFL rescheduled that game from Sunday to Tuesday due to a Washington COVID-19 outbreak of 20-plus players plus staff.
They now have fewer than five days to prepare for the Giants (4-10) with their head coach quarantined and possibly out for the game.
The Giants beat the Eagles, 13-7, at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 28. It is the Giants’ only win in five games since the Week 10 bye. The Eagles are vying for an NFC playoff spot.
“Everything up until game day will be very normal except I’m not in the building,” Sirianni told reporters. “But I’ll be running everything the same way because I’m the head coach. As far as Sunday goes, we’ll play that by ear and see what happens.”
Sirianni is the fourth NFL head coach to test positive in the last week, joining the Cleveland Browns’ Kevin Stefanski, the New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton and the Jets’ Robert Saleh. He’s also not the only positive in Philly.
The Eagles placed offensive tackle Le’Raven Clark on the COVID reserve list Wednesday, as well. He is the third Eagles offensive lineman to go on the COVID list recently, following starting guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Andre Dillard.
EAGLES INJURY REPORT
The Eagles did not practice Wednesday. This injury report is an estimation. Did not participate: DT Fletcher Cox (rest), C Jason Kelce (rest), T Jordan Mailata (ankle), RB Miles Sanders (quad), T Le’Raven Clark (COVID-19). Limited: QB Jalen Hurts (ankle), RB Jordan Howard (knee), T Lane Johnson (rest), TE Jack Stoll (knee).
