Darrell Bevell, several Lions coaches away from team due to COVID-19 issues
The Detroit Lions are in quite the predicament ahead of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and things aren't looking good.
Several Lions coaches, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell, have been deemed close contacts due to contact tracing following two positive COVID-19 tests on Tuesday and will remain away from the team until further notice, the team said in a statement Wednesday.
The Lions' two positive cases from Tuesday were from practice squad linebacker Anthony Pittman and an unnamed staff member. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says a number of defensive coaches were deemed close contacts. It's unclear if any offensive coaches are sidelined.
According to the Detroit Free Press, one defensive assistant violated league protocols by not wearing his contact tracing device at all times while another held an in-person meeting in his office. If both are found guilty, the Lions and their coaches could be fined for violating protocols.
Detroit is still conducting contact tracing and it's unclear how many coaches will be available for Saturday's game.
More must-reads: