Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles’ star quarterback, has been sidelined indefinitely after a follow-up ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot in his calf had moved. This isn’t just a minor ding; the movement of a blood clot is a significant red flag that could potentially lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is super serious for any player, let alone your franchise QB. The Eagles confirmed Thursday he won’t suit up against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, and honestly, it wouldn’t be a shocker if he missed more than that one game.
The Crazy Week That Led To Hurts Being Out
This whole situation unfolded pretty quickly, starting after the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Hurts thought he’d gotten cleated or kicked in the game, and his calf was bugging him enough that he requested treatment four days later. The Eagles’ medical team, doing their due diligence, gave him an ultrasound after they landed in London last week, and that’s when they first found the superficial blood clot. Wild, right? But here’s the kicker: their docs apparently gave him the green light to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars anyway. Then, back in Philly on Wednesday, they did another ultrasound, and that’s when things got real. That follow-up showed the clot had shifted, and that’s when the “indefinite” timeline kicked in. Hurts himself told reporters Wednesday that his “calf injury” was “a very unique experience, to say the least,” and he got “nicked up” in the Rams game. Now, he’s out.
What’s A “Superficial” Clot Really Mean?
Alright, so the Eagles haven’t spilled all the beans on the specifics, but the fact it’s called “superficial” is probably a good sign, believe it or not. Harvard Health Publishing says this could be classified as “superficial thrombophlebitis.” And an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) talks about “superficial vein thrombosis” (SuVT), where clots form in those veins closer to the skin, usually in the arms or legs. Stuff like varicose veins, recent trauma, not moving around enough, or surgery can be risk factors. This is a big deal because it’s way different from a “deep vein thrombosis” (DVT), which is a much, much more dangerous condition that can end a season, like when Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs missed 30 games back in the 2024-25 NBA season due to DVT in his shoulder. For Hurts, superficial thrombophlebitis can clear up anywhere from a week to several weeks, according to Harvard Health Publishing, but every single case is different, of course.
So, for now, the Eagles are without their main guy against the Panthers. They’ve got to figure out who’s under center and how to navigate this without Hurts while he recovers from what sounds like a truly unique and concerning situation. What happens next? We’re all gonna be glued to the updates.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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