NEED TO KNOW
- Nick Sirianni is putting “full faith” in the medical experts tending to Jalen Hurts as he recovers from his blood clot diagnosis
- The Eagles head coach was hit with back-and-forth questioning over his decision to let the Eagles quarterback play and fly overseas for the London game
- Hurts will miss the rest of the NFL season
Nick Sirianni is putting his trust in medical experts.
The Philadelphia Eagles head coach, 45, was hit with a wave of questions from reporters during a recent press conference about quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clot revelation and the team’s decision to let him play and fly overseas with it.
The back-and-forth questioning between Sirianni and a reporter — which went on for a reported five straight minutes — came shortly after news broke that Hurts, 28, will miss the rest of the NFL season after doctors discovered “multiple blood clots in his lungs,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday, Oct. 19.
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“I’m not a medical expert,” Sirianni said Monday when asked if the Eagles should have managed Hurts’ condition differently. “I lean on our guys in all those situations... I’m a football coach. I lean on our medical experts in every situation. I have full trust and full faith in them.”
He added, “It’s not just me that has major care for our players. It’s them as well.”
Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, also confirmed the news on Monday. She added that the Eagles QB was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, which is when “a blood clot develops in a vein deep in your body, often in your leg” and can occur due to “a vein injury or slow-flowing blood,” per the Cleveland Clinic.
“After further testing and monitoring, the current diagnosis is deep vein thrombosis as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli,” Lynn wrote in a statement. “He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations.”
Lynn added that Hurts’ treatment will include taking blood thinners and “he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.”
While speaking at the press conference, Sirianni made clear that the “health” of their players is “always at the forefront” of their minds. He further emphasized that decisions are in the hands of medical experts, but tripled down on the team’s care for the players.
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“We always, always care deeply about our players,” he said. “When you’re completely focused on together and connection, you’re always thinking about the wellbeing of your guys.”
Lynn shared a promising update regarding Hurts’ recovery.
“Jalen’s prognosis is very good,” she wrote. “And we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.”
Medical staff first determined the Super Bowl winner suffered a blood clot before the Eagles’ game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 11, but Hurts was allowed to play.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Hurts “was in the hospital until 4 a.m.” before the game and “did not sleep because sleep was a risk. He played without having slept.”
The Eagles said in a statement last week that Hurts underwent an ultrasound ahead of the Week 5 game overseas.
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“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.
“Our medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play,” it continued. “Doctors recommended a follow-up ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return flight to Philadelphia.”
Hurts played “without limitation” in the 19-17 loss to the Jags, but medical staff detected movement in the “small blood clot” in his calf days later.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Hurts was placed on injured reserve.
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