Jalen Hurts has been ruled out for the season after a blood clot in his leg led to blood clots in his lungs, according to a joint statement released by the Philadelphia Eagles and his agent.
The announcement has left fans concerned primarily about Hurts' health and recovery, while also raising questions about whether he should have been cleared to play in London and travel home afterward.
"Oh, it was so heartbreaking. I feel so bad for him. I pray he's OK; that's the most important thing," said Kelly Schoch of Ocean City, New Jersey.
Hurts is now on blood thinners and will remain on them for the next few months.
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"He should have never played; we'll see what happens," said Jerry Chambers of Levittown.
His team has said his prognosis is "very good."
To better understand the diagnosis, Dr. William Gray, System Chief of Cardiovascular Services at Main Line Health, discussed the condition and its treatment.
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"Blood clots to the lungs can be life-threatening. Like I said, we're very fortunate the team did a great job picking this up early and on the appropriate blood thinners and on a course to full recovery," Gray said.
Hurts was initially diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf the day before the game in London. Once there, he spent hours in the hospital and played the game on little sleep.
Gray said the initial diagnosis would not necessarily have prevented Hurts from playing.
"Ninety percent of people who have superficial venous thrombosis respond to conservative measures, which means compression, heat and so on," he added.
After Hurts returned home, doctors conducted further examinations and determined the clot had moved. He was subsequently ruled out of Sunday's game. The team's handling of the situation has since come under scrutiny.
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"The best thing that happened was that the team taking care of him followed up when he got back to the United States and did the ultrasound, which identified the extending problem," Gray said.
Fans expressed disappointment about losing Hurts for the remainder of the season but remained hopeful about the team's prospects.
"Upset, just want to make sure he comes back healthy," said Ryan Mahler of Croydon.
According to the statement, Hurts is not expected to experience any long-term effects from the condition. He will continue to be around the team while being monitored.