• New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• Payton is the first known person in the NFL to test positive.
• The NFL began the new league year and free agency as planned, despite protests from around the league on the timing, as COVID-19 spreads.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton on Thursday tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

According to Schefter, Payton is the first known person in the NFL to test positive for COVID-19.

The report comes at a time when much of the sporting world is shut down to combat the spread of the virus. The NFL, however, went forward with beginning the new league year and free agency as planned, despite protests from all corners of the league.

Schefter reported that Payton wanted his case to be known to help spread public awareness about preventative measures, such as social distancing, for the virus.

"This is not just about social distancing," Payton told ESPN. "It's shutting down here for a week to two weeks. If people understand the curve, and understand the bump, we can easily work together as a country to reduce it. Take a minute to understand what the experts are saying. It's not complicated to do what they're asking of us. Just that type of small investment by every one of us will have a dramatic impact.

According to Schefter, Payton didn't feel well this past Sunday and felt like he was coming down with a cold. He got tested and found out he had the coronavirus.

Payton told Schefter that he feels better now and is part of the 20% of cases that don't have a fever or cough.

"I was fortunate to be in the minority, without the serious side effects that some have," Payton told ESPN. "I'm lucky. Younger people feel like they can handle this, but they can be a carrier to someone who can't handle it. So we all need to do our part."

As of Thursday afternoon, the U.S. had over 11,000 cases of coronavirus and 170 reported deaths. The number of athletes infected with the coronavirus has grown, too, but in the U.S., many of the cases have been mild.

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