Published October 17, 2026 09:54 AM
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his leg. The Eagles apparently believe it won’t cause him to miss at least four games.
Via ESPN, the Eagles aren’t planning to place Hurts on injured reserve.
The article from ESPN includes this line: “The team, according to sources, has not even discussed the possibility of injured reserve.”
That’s odd, if true. The Eagles have no idea how much time he’ll miss. Hurts is being treated with blood thinners, and he can’t play while he’s taking them.
The Eagles play four games over the next 22 days (Panthers, Cowboys, at Commanders, at Giants) before entering their bye. Why not consider the possibility of giving him a full five weeks to recover, while also opening up a roster spot?
The Eagles are already using a 52-man roster, given the decision to keep right tackle Lane Johnson on the team for 2027 cap purposes despite the fact that he has retired. So they’re now down to 51.
There’s another interesting nugget in the ESPN article, which carries the bylines of Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. For the second straight week, Schefter has shared the opinions of doctors who haven’t treated the player — even though last week’s article about Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and his dislocated elbow and the opinions of doctors who haven’t treated him fell flat. This time, the doctors who haven’t treated the player suggest that Hurts could miss up to six weeks.
Regardless, the point for now is that the Eagles don’t plan to place their starting quarterback on IR. Which, coupled with Johnson’s presence on the roster, gives the Eagles two fewer players than every other team has available to it.