Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. (Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports)
The Arizona Cardinals will have to try to continue their unbeaten start to the 2021 season without head coach Kliff Kingsbury after a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Cardinals are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL, but their hopes of keeping that unblemished record intact just took a hit.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury and two others within the Cardinals organization have tested positive for COVID-19 and will not head to Cleveland for the Browns game.
Kliff Kingsbury, Cam Turner and Zach Allen out with COVID-19
Kingsbury tested positive on Friday along with quarterbacks coach Cam Turner and defensive lineman Zach Allen, according to Adam Schefter.
“In Kingsbury’s place, DC Vance Joseph and assistant HC/ST coordinator Jeff Rodgers will split the Cards’ head-coaching duties,” Schefter reported.
Allen has started four out of five games this season. He has one sack and 10 total tackles in his third year in the league. Arizona already had to deal with Chandler Jones being on the COVID list after testing positive with minor symptoms this week. He will have to have two negative tests in a row in order to play on Sunday.
The Cardinals are fully vaccinated as a team, so these are all breakthrough cases.
It’s important to note that vaccinations aren’t 100 percent effective against contracting COVID-19. However, they have been proven to be effective in preventing serious symptoms and hospitalizations. The fact that players and coaches in the organization are vaccinated is more likely to prevent a widespread outbreak of the coronavirus.