Report: Payton cleared to rejoin Saints ahead of MNF vs. Dolphins

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton returned to the team Friday after a stint in COVID-19 protocols, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports.

Payton's clearance to resume coaching duties comes ahead of a Monday night contest against the Miami Dolphins. He missed last week's 9-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as defensive coordinator Dennis Allen filled in as acting head coach.

The Saints are in the midst of the NFC's wild-card race after winning two games in a row. At 7-7, New Orleans is tied with the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles, though the Vikings hold the seventh seed due to tiebreakers.

Payton's club will need to hold off the red-hot Dolphins to keep pace. Miami has won six consecutive games after starting the year 1-7.

Rookie quarterback Ian Book is reportedly expected to start Monday's prime-time bout after Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian landed on the COVID-19 list. New Orleans is also apparently expected to sign Blake Bortles, who'd serve as Book's backup.

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