The NFL has cleared the Philadelphia Eagles in the Jalen Hurts blood clot case, deciding the team did nothing wrong when it let its star quarterback play in London with a clot in his calf.
According to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones, the league found that the medical process that cleared Hurts to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 was handled appropriately. The Eagles also will not be punished for leaving Hurts without an injury designation before that game, even though the team knew about the clot the day before kickoff.
The ruling closes a review that started after fans and analysts questioned how the Eagles managed the situation. It began in Week 4, when Hurts was cleated in the calf during a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He went to the training room after practice on Thursday, October 8, asking for treatment, and was added to the practice report the next day while still practicing in full. He was listed with a calf injury but no game status, which tells the league and the public that a player is expected to play.
After the team flew to London, Hurts had an ultrasound on Saturday, October 10, that revealed a superficial blood clot in his calf. A superficial clot forms in a vein close to the skin and is usually considered less dangerous than one deep in the leg. The Eagles said their medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results, decided that staying active was important, and concluded Hurts could safely play. He played the entire game against the Jaguars without limitation.
Back in Philadelphia, Hurts received treatment and practiced in full that Wednesday. That night, a follow up ultrasound showed the clot had moved. The Eagles ruled him out of their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers, and backup Tanner McKee got the start.
The Jalen Hurts blood clot situation then turned more serious. The Eagles placed him on injured reserve over the weekend, and on Monday the team and his agent, Nicole Lynn, released a joint statement saying further testing found deep vein thrombosis, a clot in a vein deep inside the body, along with clots in both of his lungs. Hurts will be on blood thinners and cannot play football until he finishes treatment, so he is expected to miss the rest of the season. The statement said his prognosis is very good and that he is expected to make a full recovery and return to the field once he comes off the medication.
Losing Hurts hits the Eagles at a terrible time. Philadelphia is on a four game losing streak, played its most recent loss before the injury without Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, and has already lost two Pro Bowl offensive linemen after Lane Johnson retired and Cam Jurgens was traded.
Hurts, 28, had thrown for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season. He is in the middle of a five year, $255 million extension that runs through 2028, and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has already questioned whether the Jalen Hurts blood clot diagnosis could shape his long term future as the Eagles quarterback.
