Bears offensive line coach Juan Castillo will quarantine away from the team through at least Sunday after he came into contact outside of Halas Hall with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, coach Matt Nagy said Wednesday.
Castillo has not tested positive for the coronavirus, Nagy said. Castillo self-reported the contact. He was not present at practice Wednesday but will continue to coach the team with Zoom. He will not fly with the Bears to Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday to play the Panthers on Sunday.
Assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola will take his place on Sunday and during practices this week.
Saturday, the Bears placed rookie Badara Traore, a practice-squad offensive lineman, on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Since his test — which was taken Friday — no other Bears players have tested positive.
Nagy stressed that Castillo’s exposure was not to Traore.
“It’s just for us right now — these are the times that we’re in right now,” Nagy said. “There’s not much you can do other than try to keep it at that.”
Nagy kept his entire practice squad home until Wednesday, when they returned for the team’s full practice at Soldier Field. The Bears had been scheduled for a full practice Monday, but Nagy changed it to a walk-through to eliminate his need for a practice squad.
Castillo spoke with reporters via Zoom on Tuesday.
The Bears moved the time of Wednesday’s practice twice earlier in the day — back from the early afternoon to the late morning, and then to around 12:30 p.m. He said it was part of the team adjusting its schedule to minimize players having to hang around inside.
