As the NFL and NFL Players Association attempt to hammer out all remaining details regarding protocols for pro football in a pandemic, one lingering question relates to the degree of transparency that will apply when players test positive.
The MLB and NHL plan to be discreet, with specific information not provided but the situation fairly obvious when a key player who isn’t injured also isn’t playing. To the extent that the NFL will have a short-term COVID-19 list that will allow players who test positive to be removed from the active roster temporarily, it will be impossible to keep positive tests secret.
And why should they keep it secret? There’s no stigma in having it. While some people may be ashamed by stupid, reckless behavior that caused them to get it, it’s not leprosy or any other disease that would carry inherent embarrassment.
The right approach for the NFL would be to fully and completely disclose all positive tests that occur, especially since others in a given organization will want to be aware of the extent of any potential outbreak so that they can decide whether to continue to assume the risk of contracting the virus and potentially spreading it to family members.