It certainly doesn’t sound like Ezekiel Elliott wanted the results of his coronavirus test to go public.
The Dallas Cowboys running back was one of several members of the team to test positive for the virus, his agent confirmed Monday. However, after that news went public, Elliott had a brief response that indicated he had not expected that information to become available.
HIPAA ??
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) June 15, 2020
HIPAA is a well-known law that protects the private medical information of individuals who seek treatment. It is why the Cowboys themselves did not publicly identify any of the players who tested positive, as doing so without the consent of the player would constitute a violation of their rights.
Many weren’t sure what Elliott meant, as the player’s own agent confirmed the news to the media. Elliott, however, said that his agent was not the one who broke the story, but was simply confirming after media members sought confirmation when it was somehow leaked to them.
My agent only confirmed. The story was already written. Reporters had been called my agent all morning.
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) June 15, 2020
My agent didn’t break the story to the media
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) June 15, 2020
It’s hard to blame Elliott for being frustrated here. He had a right to privacy, and if it’s true that his positive test was leaked to the media without his consent, this would be a clear violation of those rights. This has been an issue before, as reporters have gone to great lengths to get private medical information and have been scrutinized and even sued.
Other Cowboys players, as well as members of the Houston Texans, have also tested positive for the virus. Their identities remain private, as none have come forward to reveal their names.
