Leonard Fournette took aim at the Philadelphia Eagles over their handling of Jalen Hurts’ blood clot, with the former NFL running back calling out the team for letting its quarterback play in London after doctors found the clot in his calf.
Hurts’ health has become one of the NFL’s biggest storylines since his condition worsened, raising questions about why medical staff cleared him to play and then make the seven-plus-hour flight home after a clot was discovered in his calf.
The NFL has defended the Eagles’ medical team, saying its protocols were followed, while the NFL Players Association has called for a full investigation into the care Hurts received.
Leonard Fournette Calls Out Medical Staff and Coaches for Allowing Jalen Hurts To Play
Fournette, who won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shared his thoughts on the “4th and South” podcast in a clip the show posted Thursday, making it clear where he believes the fault lies.
“This is, to me, selfish on behalf of the Eagles and whoever is representing them on the medical staff,” Fournette said. “What if he would have died?”
Despite the heat behind his words, Fournette did offer one caveat. “Or maybe he decided to take it upon himself just to play, right? Being the warrior he is, the gladiator, being there for his team.”
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Still, he did not let the people around Hurts off the hook. “If you’re a coach, right, no matter how bad we want to play, you should know, they should know, this is a risk taker with his life. I do not respect the decision at all.”
Fournette’s criticism traces back to the Eagles’ Week 5 trip.
After a team meeting on Oct. 10, Hurts went to the Cleveland Clinic in London, where he was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot, a person with knowledge of the treatment told Yahoo Sports.
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He did not return to the hotel until 2:45 a.m. and slept until 10 a.m. before heading to the stadium, where he napped instead of taking part in pregame warm-ups, the person said.
Hurts, who ranks 22nd on PFN’s QB Impact Metric, still started against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, going 21 of 40 for 220 yards and a touchdown in a 19-17 loss. However, a follow-up ultrasound days later showed the clot had moved.
On Monday, Oct. 19, the Eagles said his diagnosis had been upgraded to deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning clots in both lungs.
He is now expected to miss the rest of the season while he is treated with blood thinners, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Hurts remains on injured reserve. Tanner McKee started in his place in Sunday’s 25-14 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Eagles’ fourth straight defeat. Philadelphia, now 2-4 and second in the NFC East, hosts the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.