NEED TO KNOW
- Jalen Hurts has been placed on injured reserve after a blood clot was found in his leg
- The NFL player could miss at least six weeks of games while receiving treatment, though his medical team will ultimately determine his return
- The Eagles first announced that Hurts’ blood clot had been discovered earlier this week
Jalen Hurts has been placed on injured reserve (IR) after doctors found a blood clot in his leg.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, ESPN and NFL Network reported that the Philadelphia Eagles made the decision to sideline the star quarterback, 28, indefinitely after consulting with doctors and experts.
The Eagles made the announcement after Hurts’ blood clot was discovered following last weekend’s game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The NFL team believes Hurts’ clot is treatable, sources told the outlets, and the athlete’s medical team will ultimately make the decision regarding when he can return to the field.
The three-time Pro Bowl player is set to miss upcoming games against the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
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According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, blood clots are often treated with blood-thinning medications, also known as anticoagulants, or thrombolytic medications. A player cannot participate while on blood thinners, ESPN reported.
Sources who spoke with the outlets said that the minimum time for a course of anticoagulant medication is about six weeks. If the clot were to worsen, doctors could recommend a longer course of blood thinners, which would be taken for about three months.
ESPN reported that the Eagles plan to use backup quarterback Tanner McKee to start against the Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 18, and rookie Cole Payton was promoted to backup.
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The Eagles first announced that Hurts’ blood clot had been found through a lengthy statement on Thursday, Oct. 15.
“Out of an abundance of caution, an ultrasound was performed on Saturday following the team’s flight to London and walkthrough. The ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot,” the statement said.
Credit: Emilee Chinn/Getty
Medical staff determined the quarterback suffered a blood clot before last weekend’s game in London, but Hurts was allowed to play, the team said.
“Our medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play. Doctors recommended a follow-up ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return flight to Philadelphia,” the Eagles explained.
Hurts played “without limitation” during his team’s 19-17 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 11, but medical staff detected movement in the “small blood clot” in his calf.
“A follow-up ultrasound revealed movement in the small blood clot,” the team said, adding that Hurt’s “health and safety are our highest priority.”
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