Eagles React to Coronavirus, Pull Coaches off Road

The move is only temporary, but the team will continue to have scouts go to college prospects' pro days

The two Pennsylvania cities with NFL teams are taking a proactive approach to the growing threat of the coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers have both taken their coaches off the road, at least temporarily, for the pro day circuits that are ramping up now as the NFL draft approaches in about five weeks.

One source said that, as far as the Eagles are concerned, it is a bit more complex than that. 

It isn’t just the virus that has the coaching staff staying put, but also the fact that there are a lot of new coaches on head coach Doug Pederson's staff, so in addition to prepping free agency, which begins Monday, and the draft, they are also holding meetings about scheme-related items.

The Eagles are keeping their scouts on the road to attend pro days, which have college prospects go through various drills on their campuses.

The biggest pro days scheduled for Wednesday included Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Both programs have players who could be taken on the first or second day of the 2020 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23 and runs through April 25.

Pederson is expected to be the keynote speaker at the University of Tennessee’s 2020 football coach’s clinic, which runs from March 26-28 at the school and is open to high school and middle school coaches. That is still scheduled to take place.

Every NFL team has had a meeting to discuss safety measures against the virus, according to a source who spoke to Yahoo Sports.

It is possible, according to Yahoo Sports, that coaches could attend pro days close to their teams’ locations, places that don’t require air travel. For the Eagles, that would obviously keep a lot of east coast options open, including Penn State, and even some schools such as Ohio State could remain in play for car travel.

The situation is all very fluid, and one the NFL is keeping a close eye on.

There are still plans for the NFL to hold its league meetings at the end of the month in Palm Beach, Fla., and no changes have yet to be made for the draft, which will be held in Las Vegas at the end of April.