Perhaps the wildest story a month and a half into the 2026 NFL season has been the unfolding odyssey around Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts − specifically the blood clots he's now being treated for, whether that should have happened sooner, and new questions about whether he should have played in London in Week 5 or even taken the transatlantic flight to Europe.
Yet the playing status of Hurts, who's now expected to miss the rest of this season while he's on blood thinners, has come with his unraveling team serving as a backdrop − a situation that sparked even more speculation around the often polarizing quarterback. But one league analyst, former Pro Bowl fullback Michael Robinson of NFL Network, has apologized for the doubt he cast on the severity of Hurts' medical situation and suggesting that he removed himself from an already decimated lineup in order to avoid being blamed for the Eagles' demise.
Robinson apologized to Hurts and the Eagles on Monday, Oct. 19.
"I want to sincerely apologize to Jalen Hurts, his family, the Philadelphia Eagles organization and fan base for my comments last Thursday (Oct. 15)," Robinson posted on social media.
"They were unfounded and I never should've speculated on a health issue of a player nor his commitment to his team."
My official apology to @JalenHurts@Eagles and the entire fanbase. My comments were wrong. No excuse. pic.twitter.com/fhHW2VFT39
— Michael Robinson (@RealMikeRob) October 20, 2026
What did Michael Robinson say about Jalen Hurts?
After news of Hurts' blood clots first emerged last Thursday, Robinson proffered a fairly reckless alternate rationale for the Eagles' sudden decision to shut him down on NFL Network's "NFL Gameday Kickoff" − saying the team was "incentivized to go into the draft and maybe look for a quarterback."
But then he took it much further, effectively questioning Hurts' credibility and the seriousness of his clotting issue.
"(I)f I'm just playing devil's advocate here, and I'm thinking that way, if I'm Jalen Hurts − or anybody in Jalen Hurts' camp − I'm saying, 'Well if everybody's hurt, I'm hurt, too,'" Robinson theorized.
"To me, it looked like Jalen is kind of getting himself out of the fray so that this lost season … he's pulling himself out so that this doesn't look like it's on me."
More: How did Jalen Hurts' blood clot get worse? A Harvard professor explains
Robinson's apology came hours after Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, provided further details on his medical situation and the gravity of it, which was more serious than the quarterback and team apparently initially realized.
Hurts, who has been placed on injured reserve, has not officially been ruled out for the rest of the season. However being treated with blood thinners usually requires months of treatment and is not compatible with playing a game as inherently dangerous as football.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Network analyst apologizes to Jalen Hurts for 'unfounded' comments