Saints coach Payton is covid-19 positive for second time

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has tested positive for covid-19 for the second time and will miss their Week 15 game against their NFC South division rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The team says Payton was immediately isolated after the test result. He had missed the Saints’ practice earlier this week because of an illness, but his covid-19 test was negative at that point.

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Sidelined for 10 days

The coach, who is fully vaccinated, is expected to be out of action for at least 10 days, unless he is able to pass the NFL’s prerequisites for vaccinated people to be able to re-join a team.

Payton was the first confirmed case of covid-19 in the NFL, coming forward with his diagnosis in March 2020 to encourage people to behave responsibly in the pandemic.

He is on track to be ready to coach the team in their matchup with the Miami Dolphins in Week 16. He is the second coach to test positive for the virus the past week. Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is one among many of the Browns who tested positive the past few days.

Tough game ahead

In the absence of Payton, Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen will act as head coach in Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Allen will have his work cut out for him, as Tampa Bay is coming off a four-game winning streak.

The Buccaneers are favored to win over the Saints and end their run of four division titles in a row.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the New Orleans Saints in Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m.