Monday brought a reality check for Michael Robinson. By evening, the NFL Network analyst apologized to Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles, and their fans for what he said about the QB’s blood clot.
Earlier, the team and Hurts’ agent had revealed that his diagnosis had changed to deep vein thrombosis, with clots in both lungs, which was concerning. Fans, then, weren’t ready to accept the apology, as some called for Robinson to be fired.
NFL Fans React as Michael Robinson Apologizes for Controversial Remarks Against Jalen Hurts
On “NFL GameDay Kickoff” on Thursday, Oct. 15, the day the Eagles ruled Hurts out of their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers, Robinson, a former Seattle Seahawks fullback who won a Super Bowl in 2014, gave his own read on why Hurts was out.
“If I’m Jalen Hurts, or anybody in Jalen Hurts’ camp, I’m saying, ‘Well if everybody’s hurt, I’m hurt, too,’ … And I’m not saying a superficial blood clot isn’t serious. I’m not saying that, but I would advise all of our viewers to Google ‘superficial blood clot’ as opposed to a real blood clot.”
Robinson’s apology came after Monday’s update on Hurts’ condition. “My comments were wrong. No excuse,” he wrote, adding in a longer statement, “They were unfounded and I never should’ve speculated on a health issue of a player nor his commitment to his team.”
Victor Williams, a writer for The Eagles Wire, minced no words in his reply: “Apology not accepted. Never speak again.”
One fan was just as blunt about the apology itself: “Terrible PR apology; enjoy being unemployed in a few months.”
Tyler Lauletta of Awful Announcing saw it differently, writing “Good on Robinson for offering a real apology” in his piece on the episode.
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Another fan went further: “You should be fired. Can’t even apologize on live TV where you insulted him?”
Another fan made the same demand: “Fire this man.”
This fan took issue with the timing: “Only took him almost dying for you to apologize.”
One more fan had a parting message for Robinson: “Hurts will get better. Your reputation is permanently tarnished.”
Hurts first reported a problem with his calf on Oct. 8, four days after he was cleated in a Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. In London on Oct. 10, doctors found what the Eagles called a superficial blood clot in his left calf.
He was cleared to play the next day and went 21-of-40 for 220 yards and a 62-yard touchdown to Darius Cooper in a 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a PFN QB Impact Score of 70.2, #21 in the league. A follow-up exam on Wednesday, Oct. 14, showed the clot had moved.
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The team placed Hurts on injured reserve on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Monday’s update showed his condition was more serious. He is clinically stable and is taking blood thinners, which keep him out of contact activities, including football, until he is off them.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season and that his recovery is expected to take three months.
Before the clot sidelined him, Hurts had completed 89 of 154 passes for 933 yards on the season, with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 107 yards and a score on 23 carries.
Through Week 6, his 57.8% completion rate ranks 31st of 33 qualified quarterbacks, and Pro Football Network’s NFL QB Impact Grade has him at 69.6, 22nd of 34 graded quarterbacks.
Next up for the Eagles is a Week 7 home game against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, Oct. 26, at Lincoln Financial Field, followed by a trip to face the Washington Commanders on Nov. 1.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.