Carolina offensive tackle Taylor Moton was relaxing at home in late June when chest congestion became something far more alarming. The Panthers’ veteran right tackle began tasting blood, prompting a hospital visit that ultimately revealed multiple blood clots in his right lung.
Months later, Moton told Joseph Person of The Athletic about the health challenge facing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose updated diagnosis includes deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in both lungs.
“It was scary. You start coughing up blood, you start thinking the worst,” Moton told The Athletic.
According to The Athletic, Moton first visited a hospital near his suburban Charlotte home before being transferred to a larger facility. CT scans and ultrasounds revealed the clots, and he experienced high blood pressure, lightheadedness, and unsteadiness. He said he did not know what caused the condition. For Moton, the diagnosis required a significant adjustment for a player whose career began with 120 consecutive appearances, including 104 starts. Moton said Panthers lead internist Nancy Gritter told him he would need three months on blood thinners and could not participate in contact during that period.
Carolina opened his 21-day practice window after its bye, more than three months after the diagnosis. His return to practice represented an encouraging step following a frightening interruption to his career.
Hurts faces a similar immediate restriction. The Eagles and agent Nicole Lynn said he is receiving anticoagulation treatment and cannot participate in contact activities, including football, while taking blood thinners. They described him as clinically stable, with no significant functional limitations, and expect a full recovery without long-term effects.
Moton’s three-month treatment does not set a return date for Hurts or anything close to it. Philadelphia has not announced how long Hurts will require medication. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the quarterback is out for the season. The Eagles expect Hurts to remain involved with the team and continue conditioning during treatment, with the chance to resume contact football activities once he is off blood thinners.
Moton’s experience illustrates both the disruption and the perspective that can accompany such a diagnosis. Upon returning to the Panthers, he expressed gratitude for his health, his family, and the chance to play again. For Hurts and Philadelphia, the encouraging starting point is the medical expectation of a full recovery, with football following the course of his treatment.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Taylor Moton offers insight into what Jalen Hurts faces in recovery