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Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich will miss the start of training camp after testing positive for COVID-19, general manager Chris Ballard announced Monday.
Ballard said Reich’s test results came back late last week and the fourth-year coach, who is fully vaccinated, has been asymptomatic. It’s still unlikely Reich will return to the practice field until early next week.
In Reich’s absence, the Colts plan to split coaching duties between new offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone. Reich will continue to participate through video calls.
“We’re not going to name an interim coach,” Ballard said. “Bubba has a little more time than some of the others, so we’ll split some things up.”
Colts players are scheduled to report to camp at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield, Indiana, a northern suburb of Indianapolis, on Tuesday. The first of 19 practices is scheduled to be held Wednesday — in front of fans for the first time since 2019.
Ballard said the only other positive test within the organization was a staff member he declined to name.
Indianapolis has reportedly had one of the lower vaccination rates among players, although Ballard said the numbers have increased recently and more than 60% of players now have taken at least one vaccination shot.
Unvaccinated players, he said, will be required to socially distance and wear masks, and if they do not comply could be disciplined.
“We’ve got to protect the team, we’ve got to keep them safe,” Ballard said. “We have a tremendous group and they want to win so I know they’ll follow the protocols. They did an incredible job following the protocols last year.”
Reich won’t be the only one missing the start of camp.
Two-time All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard is being held out after having surgery on his ankle in early June. Ballard said he expects Leonard to return to full action before the Sept. 12 season opener against Seattle.
Left tackle Eric Fisher, a two-time Pro Bowler, was placed on the physically unable to perform list Sunday, while defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, Indy’s second-round draft pick in April, was placed on the non-football injury list. Both are recovering from Achilles tendon injuries sustained in January.
Defensive tackle Rob Windsor went on season-ending injured reserve Sunday because of hip surgery.
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This whole vaccine issue is growing to be a huge problem. Alot of people that are vaccinated are still getting COVID…so does it work….or not??
But he’s asymptomatic, not in ICU on a respirator. The vaccine clearly helps, and it’s odd to characterize that as a “problem”. The problem is all the non-vaccinated people who could still get severe infections from those who don’t show symptoms.
Not sure how that’s a problem either Chris B. if they have chosen not to be vaccinated.
So non symptomatic, not sick. Variant is SO over blown by media. The few death have extreme health risk just as before.
Today’s Indiana Covid stats. 497 new cases 0 deaths. The vaccine works. The only cases you read about are the breakthrough cases that the paper throws out there to grab headlines. Millions of folks are in a far better place because they have been vaccinated. They either won’t get it all or the symptoms will be mild. This is proving out time and again.
Have we done a second test? Just to be sure?
How does he even know – what would prompt a test if you are vaccinated and asymptomatic?
@MG: He likely wasn’t tested because he was symptomatic but because everyone on the team was tested to see who had it and who did not.
98% percent of unvaccinated people that got Covid were NOT in need of a respirator or ICU care to begin with, so what’s your point?
Exactly.
Check your numbers. The death rate is between 1.5-2%, not the hospitalization rate. (And that’s 10x the death rate for the flu.)
The vaccine is a gene therapy drug not a true vaccine. It will not prevent you from getting covid but may mitigate the symptoms. Question will be the long term effects of this gene therapy drug
Jeffrey R. True. So I am wondering if anyone knows – does the 90-95% efficacy rate we keep hearing about for these vaccines include those who are “infected” after their full vaccination but who are asymptomatic?
The Science confirms he would have been dead two weeks ago if he had not received the vaccine. Instead, he’s vaxxed and relaxed (by not having to coach for ten days).
LOL – Um, I don’t think so. Neither the science nor data confirms that.
It’s my understanding that just being “vaccinated” doesn’t prevent you from “getting” or “carrying” a virus. Its always been my understanding that vaccines help your body fight viruses which minimizes the chance that YOU will get SICK from that virus. That’s why doctors want everyone to be vaccinated. It’s not to prevent the spread of the virus. It’s to minimize the chance people will get sick from the virus, which essentially defangs the virus. The virus will always be around, but if everyone is vaccinated WHO WANT TO BE VACCINATED, who cares. If all the Colts players and staff are vaccinated and Reich isn’t showing any symptoms, why is he in quarantine? Sure he may be carrying the virus temporarily, like many people are and don’t know it, but if everyone around him has been vaccinated, they won’t likely get sick, even if they come into contact with the virus. Doesn’t make sense to me to continue to quarantine people who may test positive with COVID since virtually everyone (in this country) has had a chance to get a vaccine. If you choose NOT to get the vaccine for yourself or your child, you run the risk of infection and getting sick which is YOUR PERSONAL CHOICE and the choice you have as a parent. COVID is not going away. Given that, fortunately, we are no longer worried about the “health care system” being “overrun” by people being hospitalized due to COVID. Also, forcing people to wear masks today with the availability of a vaccine is dumb, in my opinion. You’ve either been vaccinated OR you don’t want to be vaccinated.
Excellent points Charles H.
Because there are people that are NOT vaccinated on the team and in the community.
David G, there will ALWAYS be “people that are NOT vaccinated”. At this point, anyone not vaccinated has CHOSEN not to be vaccinated for whatever personal reason. Why should the rest of society (or the rest of the team or Reich himself) be inconvenienced because of the personal decisions of a few? Do you worry as much about people who still choose to smoke cigarettes given what we know today?
Charles, he is the head coach of the football team! Do you not think it’d be irresponsible of him to risk spreading Covid-19 to his unvaccinated players? Would you be okay with your child’s teacher going to school to teach with Covid-19 if the kids were still too young to be vaccinated?
By the way, he still could develop symptoms. I have friends who have had both doses of Pfizer and Moderna that have gotten sick with Covid-19. Now it was only like a 2-3 day long flu for them and not horrible, but I was taught that you don’t go to work with a fever, coughing, and sneezing. I think they teach that in elementary school. When did stopping the spread of disease become so insanely controversial?
@ Wes, comparing grown adult employees with school kids is quite the stretch. Go back to making care packages for the Dallas Democrats. Oh, wait, speaking of spreading covid….
Apparently you don’t believe the news reports out of Florida, Louisiana, and Missouri about rural hospitals overrun with Covid cases last week?
Agreed, Charles. But those who refuse the vaccine don’t have much of a case why they should get medical care if they contract COVID.l at this point.
If they think they’re going to be fine without a vaccine, they should face the full consequences of that belief and not get a government bail out.
Because many of these people seem very intent on personal responsibility for everyone except themselves because they are rugged individualists. Let’s see them put their lives to that belief.
This is a big deal??? 🥱
Propagandemic continues. Reich probably did not have the 2.3 comorbidities that over 95% of all C-19 deaths were attributed.
And speaking of 95%, shouldn’t a proportionate number of the Untouchables, er unvaxxed, of Reich’s close contacts be HIV, er Covid, positive now and all be on ventilators or presumed dead, if the vaccine works at that 95% level.
Breaking! The “journalists” are having a slow news day