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Matt Nagy still in COVID-19 protocol, won't coach Chicago Bears on Sunday

NFL, Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears coach Matt Nagy remains in the NFL's COVID-19 protocol and will not coach in Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, the team announced.

Bears special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor will serve as head coach for the game.

"We'll be fully prepared, and that's again where it kind of goes into the trust and belief in your coaches and players." Nagy said Friday.

Nagy announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday after the Bears returned home from Sunday's 38-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nagy said there were no other positive tests Monday and that he felt OK despite the diagnosis.

Tabor ran the team meetings in Nagy's absence during the week.

"I'll be honest with you, the week hasn't been any different for me from the standpoint of I talk to Coach [Nagy] all the time every day," Tabor said Thursday. "He's in all the meetings. I just don't see him physically.

"With regards to how we're prepping for special teams, I've stayed in my same routine, same process. If something else comes across my desk that I need to execute for Coach, then I will do that. That's to me, to be honest with you, that's a pretty easy thing to do. Just trying to stay true. I always say, 'We're not gonna win the game today, but you sure can lose it,' and we want to make sure we have a good day of practice to set us up for Sunday."

All NFL coaches must be vaccinated, and Nagy requires two negative tests 24 hours apart before he is allowed to return.

Information from ESPN's Jeff Dickerson was used in this report.

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