Jalen Hurts is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his leg, yet the Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly not even discussing putting their star quarterback on injured reserve. That’s a wild move, especially when you consider he literally can’t play while being treated with blood thinners.
The Eagles’ Strange Bet on Hurts’ Return
Apparently, the Eagles believe Hurts won’t miss at least four games, which is why they’re not planning an IR stint. But here’s the kicker: the team “has no idea how much time he’ll miss,” according to sources in an ESPN article by Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport. If you don’t know how long your starting QB is out, why wouldn’t you consider giving him a full five weeks to recover while opening up a roster spot? It just feels… odd, if true. The Eagles have four games scheduled over the next 22 days against the Panthers, Cowboys, Commanders (away), and Giants (away) before hitting their bye week. That’s a lot of football without knowing if your guy will be back.
Roster Crunch and Questionable Reporting
This decision not to place Hurts on IR comes when the team is already feeling a roster crunch. They’re technically running with a 52-man roster because right tackle Lane Johnson retired but is still on the team for 2027 cap purposes. That means they’re effectively down to 51 active players, and not opening up a spot with Hurts’ indefinite absence just makes things tighter. Speaking of that ESPN article, it’s worth noting that for the second week in a row, Schefter has shared opinions from doctors who haven’t actually treated the player. That’s an interesting detail in itself.
So what’s next? The Eagles have those four tough games coming up before their bye. Not putting Hurts on IR is a risky play that could leave them short-handed and impact their early season form if his recovery takes longer than they’re hoping for.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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