Watching the Broncos from the comfort of his living room couch is something defensive coordinator Ed Donatell hopes to never have to do again. 

“I don’t like it,” Donatell said Thursday. “I can’t see enough of the whole picture. … There’s things you can pick up and draw from that, but I’d rather not do that again.”

For the first time in Donatell’s 40-year coaching career, he missed a game this season. In fact, he missed six games after testing positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 1.

Donatell, 63, spoke with the media Thursday for the first time in over a month, detailing his battle with the virus and revealing he was hospitalized for five days. 

“This thing went on longer than I wanted it to. And really, when I was getting ready to come back, the virus hit me about the ninth day and then I started getting really heavy symptoms,” Donatell said. “So, it got to a case where I was hospitalized for five days, and they gave me the meds I needed, then I returned home. And when something like that happens, it really weakens your body — five days.”

Donatell has been back at Broncos practice the last two weeks after clearing protocols to return, but has yet to return to the sidelines as he builds his strength back up.

Coach Vic Fangio expects that to change on Sunday in Carolina. 

“He’s doing much better,” Fangio said. “He’s been getting better and better every day since he came back last week. Right now, we are anticipating him probably going to the game. Obviously it could change here in the next 48 hours, but I think we’ll have him in the box instead of on the field so he doesn’t have to stand down there for over three hours.

“But yeah, it’s a tremendous help. Ed’s got a veteran set of eyes.”

Starting safety Justin Simmons said that having Donatell back the last couple weeks has been a huge morale boost for a team that’s been struggling to get wins on the field.

“Having Ed back, it’s been great,” Simmons said. “There’s a certain spirit about him that kind of has that calming presence in the room and on the field, out in practice. So, there’s just a different vibe not having him out there, and I thought (Defensive Backs Coach Renaldo Hill) and (Defensive Quality Control Coach Chris Beake) did a great job of stepping in and just really filling in where Ed has done such a consistent job since the time that I’ve known him.”

Donatell said he’s excited to possibly return on Sunday against the Panthers. 

But he also said he would be remiss not to say he wasn’t nervous during the whole process, adding, “I think everybody should be nervous. I wouldn’t be telling you the truth if I didn’t think so because there’s so many unknowns about this virus.”

While thrilled to be back, Donatell hopes people understand just how serious the virus is and the many things it can take away from someone.

“The big takeaway is you miss the contact with people,” Donatell said. “That day-to-day contact with your players on the field, with your fellow coaches, coaching in games. I’ve never been deprived of that, and that wasn’t a lot of fun, but I learned some things. I learned how special a lot of things are in life to you, and how important your health is. There are times when you got to press the pause button and get it back to where it is.

“I couldn’t be more juiced up to go to this game this week and coach and help our team. Really, my focus now is on the Carolina Panthers as it has been on every team the last few weeks.”

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