Count another head coach among the NFL’s positive COVID-19 test results.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn revealed his case to his team during a virtual meeting, as shown Tuesday night during the opening minutes of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
“I can’t promise you [that] you are not going to get infected,” Lynn said. “I got infected.”
The video clip immediately cut to players’ surprised reactions, including the stunned soon-to-be-memed look of star defensive end Joey Bosa.
“I’ve talked to some people that say they are sick of this virus,” Lynn said. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Let me tell you something: You ain’t promised next year. You ain’t promised tomorrow.”
The New Orleans Saints’ Sean Payton and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Doug Pederson also are known to have tested positive. Later in the episode, Lynn tells the Chargers team psychologist that he did not share his diagnosis – coughing and body aches were the initial symptoms – with anyone.
“What I want to do is I want to limit your exposure,” Lynn said. “So when that damn whistle blows let’s go kick somebody’s ass and play football. One team will do this [handling the virus] better than the other 31. Trust me. It might as well be us.”
It is not known when or how Lynn, 51, contracted the virus.
“Hard Knocks” – the popular behind-the-scenes training camp show – is featuring both the Chargers and Rams in a new twist about two teams in the same city. The first episode was heavily dedicated to showing steps taken to protect and test the players.
“You feel a little bit like an outcast. That was probably harder for me than the sickness,” Lynn said, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I was feeling like, ‘I can’t go here or I’m going to infect this person.’ When you’re used to fixing the problem, now I’m the problem.”
