Season Over

Jalen Hurts likely played his last down of the 2026 season in Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London.

In an unsettling development, it was learned Monday via a collaborative statement between the Philadelphia Eagles and Hurts’ agent Nicole Lynn that it was discovered in a medical evaluation that the Eagles’ franchise quarterback has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, which in layman’s terms means the blood clot in his leg has made its way to his lungs.

The treatment involves the use of blood thinners, sidelining Hurts from any and all contact activities. Hurts, 28, is expected to make a full recovery and bear no long-term effects.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is out for the foreseeable future from a blood clot.

The statement from both parties:

“Over the last few days, Jalen Hurts has received comprehensive medical evaluations by physician experts. In the interest of transparency, we are providing additional information on the diagnosis and treatment plan related to his condition.

“Jalen was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis. After further testing and monitoring, the current diagnosis is a deep vein thrombosis, as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli. He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations. His treatment should only involve anticoagulation [I.E. “Blood Thinners”]. During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.

“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.

“We are thinking of Jalen and looking forward to a strong recovery.”

The Eagles on Saturday afternoon placed Hurts on injured reserve due to a blood clot in his calf, which would have sidelined him for at least four games, but Monday’s troubling update modifies Hurts’ foreseeable future. His health and safety are the only priorities, and perhaps most encouraging in the statement is that Hurts’ prognosis is “very good”.

In a statement from the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 15, it was learned that Hurts underwent an ultrasound Saturday in London, following the Eagles’ flight to and subsequent walkthrough ahead of the team’s Week 5 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was then that a superficial blood clot was uncovered.

The statement detailed the immediate action plan thereafter:

“Our medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play. Doctors recommended a follow-up ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return flight to Philadelphia.”

Last Wednesday, the follow-up ultrasound “indicated movement in the small blood clot.” On Thursday afternoon, the team released the statement that determined Hurts would out of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers and transparently detailed the chain of events that led to that point.

Hours after Monday’s news broke, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni conducted his regularly scheduled videoconference and repeatedly cited the organization’s prioritizing of the well-being of the players. Sirianni didn’t offer much in response to Hurts’ medical crisis, reciting similar nondescript answers on the topic.

When asked whether there was anything he would have retrospectively handled differently with regard to the situation, Sirianni doubled down in his support of the Eagles’ medical experts.

“Guys, I’m not a medical expert,” he said Monday. “I lean on our guys in all those situations. I’m a football coach. I lean on our medical experts in every situation. I have full trust and full faith in them. It’s not just me that has major care for our players; it’s them as well. We are all there, and I’m glad to be part of an organization that cares about the guys the way our guys do.”

Hurts, by the way, competed valiantly in the Eagles’ 19-17 loss in London, completing 21 of 40 pass attempts for 220 yards and a touchdown. He led a nine-play, 32-yard drive to help put the Eagles in position to take the lead in the game’s waning moments.

With Hurts on the mend, the Eagles will rely on fourth-year quarterback Tanner McKee to navigate the interim. McKee, 26, completed 26 of 45 pass attempts for 215 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 25-14 loss on Sunday. He’ll have an opportunity to help the Eagles end a four-game skid next Monday night at home against the Dallas Cowboys.

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com