According to his agent, Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott has tested positive for coronavirus, but is “feeling good.” Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
Multiple Dallas Cowboys players recently tested positive for COVID-19, sources said Monday, but the team has declined comment, and star running back Ezekiel Elliott publicly lamented a privacy violation after being reported as one of them.
NFL Network first reported Monday morning that “several” Cowboys players tested positive. Later, it disclosed Elliott as among the positive cases while attributing the information to Elliott’s agent. Rocky Arceneaux described Elliott as “feeling good,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
About an hour later, Elliott tweeted “HIPAA??” in reference to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. According to the Department of Health Care Services, HIPAA regulations “require health care providers and organizations, as well as their business associates, to develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality and security of protected health information.”
Elliott clarified that his gripe was not with his agent but rather the reporters who approached him.
HIPAA rules do not apply to media. Elliott did not dispute the positive test.
League sources indicated that multiple Cowboys players tested positive with the actual number believed to be closer to two than the “several” initially reported. But while a small number of positive cases is widely referenced in these league circles, the exact figure cannot possibly be determined without the Cowboys’ ability to provide details on the matter.
“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “We are following all CDC, local and NFL guidelines to keep our facilities safe, including limiting employee access.”
Coaches and limited staff have returned to work at The Star in Frisco, but players have continued with virtual instruction this offseason. Last week, the NFL sent a memo to teams, outlining safety protocols for when players do return. No timetable was included, and these protocols weren’t reviewed by the NFL Players Association before they were distributed.
Dallas County has experienced a surge in positive COVID-19 cases. The county reported 302 additional coronavirus cases Sunday, the fifth day in a row with more than 300 new cases. The county averaged 300 cases last week, its highest seven-day average since the pandemic began.
Elliott has spent at least part of his offseason training in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with quarterback Dak Prescott, former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant and other NFL players. Several videos of these workouts, posted to social media in early April, drew criticism for a lack of social distancing and violating the letter of Dallas County’s shelter-in-place orders at the time.
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