COVID Costs Titans a Coach Versus Colts

The Tennessee Titans coaching staff will be short a man Sunday at Indianapolis.

Senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz will not be with the team due to COVID-19 issues, the team reported Saturday night, although it is unclear whether he has tested positive for the virus or if he experience a close contact with someone who has it. The official explanation for the move is that the team is "following the NFL's COVID-19 protocols."

The former NFL head coach returned to the Titans in April after five seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator. The 55-year-old has served as a voice of experience for a defensive staff led by first-year coordinator Shane Bowen, who is 34.

Schwartz is one of the coaches who operates from the press box during the game, but his specific duties in a role that was created this year have not been revealed.

“(Schwartz) has a lot of experience in this league and has come in and – I never really thought of anything other than him just helping out,” coach Mike Vrabel said this week. “… He has done everything that I have asked him to do, that (Bowen) has asked him to do to support, to give input, to follow up on postgame, during the game.

“I don’t look at it as anything other than another than just another member of our defensive staff and our staff that does things to help us win and we will continue to try to do all those things. Everything that I thought it would be it has been, and just hope that everything can continue.”

Schwartz joined the Titans in 1999 as a defensive assistant and quickly progressed to linebackers coach (2000) and defensive coordinator (2001). He directed Tennessee’s defense through 2008 until the Detroit Lions hired him to be their head coach. He went 29-51 with one playoff appearances in five seasons with Detroit.

The Titans (5-2) and Colts (3-4) will meet for the second time this season. Tennessee won the first 25-16 and limited Indianapolis’ offense to a season-low 265 total yards.