Anthony Lynn, who is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, has disclosed that he has contracted the coronavirus.
The disclosure came Tuesday night within the first five minutes of an episode of HBO’s NFL reality series “Hard Knocks,” which is in its 15th season.
“I can’t promise you that you’re not going to get infected. … I got infected,” the 51-year-old Lynn told his players during a televised conference call.
“Be patient, man. Be patient. Fellas, this year is not like any year we’ve had in the National Football League,” Lynn said. “There’s going to be chaos. It’s going to be change and it’s going to come every single day. The goals, the objectives, will not change.
“I’ve talked to some people who said they’re sick of this virus. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Let me tell you something, you aren’t promised next year. You aren’t promised tomorrow. What I want to do is I want to limit your exposures.
“But when that whistle blows, let’s go kick somebody’s ass and play some football. One team will do this better than the other 31. Trust me. It might as well be us. So, be ready for chaos. Embrace it. Because if we’re going to play, the team that handles this thing the best is going to have the best chance of winning that trophy.”
Lynn said his experience began with a slight cough, followed by body aches. He has since recovered.
Lynn said he was watching a golf tournament during which one participant withdrew after testing positive. He said the golfer mentioned suffering from symptoms similar to the ones he felt.
“If I hadn’t been watching the golf event and saw that golfer complaining about back aches and soreness, I never even would have gotten tested,” Lynn said. “I never even would have known it and probably got (other) people infected.”
