By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Dallas Cowboys will be without head coach Mike McCarthy on Thursday. The Cowboys travel to play the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
McCarthy has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is vaccinated, according to reports, and must have two negative tests within 24 hours before being eligible to return to the sidelines.
At this time, it is not clear if McCarthy is dealing with any symptoms.
He is the latest member of the Cowboys to have been sidelined due to being vaccinated. Right tackle Terence Steele was moved to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper reportedly returned to the Cowboys on Monday after missing the last two games. Several coaches, including offensive line coach Joe Philbin, missed Thanksgiving’s game against the Buffalo Bills after testing positive for the virus.
“Although he will not be on the field for the Saints game, McCarthy will continue to direct, and be involved in, all meetings and game preparations on a virtual basis for the remainder of the week — including Thursday’s meetings in New Orleans,” the team said in a statement.
There are at least eight people within the Cowboys organization, including five coaches, who have tested positive for the virus.
At this time, the Cowboys have not said which assistant coach will take over the head coaching responsibilities for Thursday’s game. While McCarthy and Philbin are out, the team does have coaches with NFL head coach experience. Dan Quinn, the team’s defensive coordinator, was most recently the Atlanta Falcons head coach before being fired after the 2020 season.
Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel was an interim head coach with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2016 season.
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore could also be an option for Owner and GM Jerry Jones. Moore, who is expected to receive interest for head coaching jobs this offseason, has impressed since taking over the role for the 2019 season.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
