METAIRIE, La. – New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has tested positive for coronavirus and “is progressing well and improving daily” in her recovery, according to team spokesperson Greg Bensel.
“She has not been hospitalized and is recovering at home,” Bensel said in a statement, noting that Benson “did not miss a daily work call with Saints and Pelicans staff, nor did she miss a call from an NBA or NFL owner in recent days.
“She thanks everyone for their thoughts and prayers,” Bensel said.
Benson, 73, attended practice earlier in training camp before testing positive for the virus at some point in the past two weeks. She has never stayed at the team hotel in downtown New Orleans.
So far in training camp, three Saints players have tested positive – but all three have been described as ‘false positives’ with players being quickly taken off the reserve / COVID-19 roster. The Saints created an optional bubble-like atmosphere at the Loews town center hotel throughout the camp, with Benson paying the high cost of renting four floors for their private use. Coach Sean Payton estimated that around 150 of the organization’s 180 members would stay there.
Payton also tested positive for the coronavirus in the spring, although he recovered quickly with relatively minor symptoms.
Benson isn’t the first NFL or NBA owner to test positive. Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill recovered from the virus in July, and New York Knicks owner James Dolan recovered from the virus in the spring.
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