Jalen Hurts is battling a serious blood clot, and the Philadelphia Eagles are making a wild gamble by not putting him on Injured Reserve before Week 6. This whole situation is just brutal for Philly, coming right after Lane Johnson’s retirement. Now, with Tanner McKee stepping in as QB for the foreseeable future, the Eagles are playing a dangerous waiting game with their franchise guy.
Why the Eagles Aren’t Pulling the Trigger on IR Yet
So, what’s the deal? Why aren’t they just stashing Hurts on IR if there’s this major concern about him being out for a while? Jonathan Jones from The Athletic dropped some serious insight into this. Basically, the Eagles don’t *have* to make a roster move on Hurts right now. Thanks to practice-squad rules and other injuries they’re already dealing with, Philly’s got enough roster space to keep Hurts on the active roster through this weekend. This buys them precious time to get the full scope of his prognosis.
Howie Roseman and the Eagles are holding off, hoping to figure out exactly what Hurts’ actual diagnosis looks like. That’s the real key here. They’ve got a lot of injury issues overall, but the roster flexibility lets them be patient for at least another week. It could be a super serious, long-term thing for Hurts, which means he’d eventually land on IR and miss through Week 11, including their Week 10 bye. But here’s the kicker: there’s also a shot this isn’t a massive long-term problem and might get resolved quickly. Wild, right?
The Week 6 Showdown: Playoff Hopes on the Line
If the Eagles did put Hurts on IR, he’d be out for Weeks 6 through 10, plus that bye week. That’s a huge chunk of the season. They absolutely want to be certain he’s going to miss at least four weeks before making a call like that. And honestly, waiting another week helps paint a clearer picture for their whole season, especially in the NFC East and the playoff hunt.
Think about it: if the Eagles drop their Week 6 game, falling to a brutal 2-4 record, and then the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys both grab wins, the entire outlook for Philly changes. They’re not going to rush Hurts back from this blood clot, no way. But if the season starts looking totally out of reach, they’ll have every reason to slap him on IR and basically wave the white flag on 2026. It’s been an absolutely tumultuous start for the Eagles with all their injuries, and now this massive Hurts complication. This IR decision is going to tell us everything about how the rest of their year plays out, which is why they’re waiting it out for one more week.
What’s Next for the Birds?
The Eagles face a monumental Week 6 game. That decision on Hurts, and the outcome of the game itself, will set the tone for whether they’re fighting for a spot or if they’re already planning for next year. Every snap matters now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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