Jalen Hurts’ 2026 season just hit a massive snag, putting the Philadelphia Eagles’ plans on pause. The star quarterback was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot that showed some movement, and the team placed him on IR this past Saturday. Talk about a gut punch when you’re trying to make a run.
What’s Going On With Hurts’ Health?
The Eagles apparently knew about this clot last week and even informed the league, but Hurts still got cleared to play in their Week 5 London loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Seriously, how did that happen? After that game, a follow-up ultrasound revealed the clot was actually moving. That’s when the team finally announced he’d have to sit for at least one week while they got him treated. The good news, if there is any, is that the Eagles reportedly aren’t planning to put Hurts on injured reserve for the whole four weeks. That means they’re hoping he could be back in less than a month, but man, this whole thing is totally fluid.
CBS Sports talked to Dr. Henry Han, a board certified cardiologist at UT Southwestern, to get the lowdown. He described Hurts’ condition as “superficial thrombophlebitis” or, easier to say, “superficial vein thrombosis.” Basically, it’s a blood clot chilling in one of the surface veins just under the skin. Dr. Han said when these clots form, the vein gets inflamed, turning red, warm, and tender. Sounds pretty miserable, right?
Why This Isn’t a Career Ender, But Still Super Serious
Here’s where it gets interesting, and thankfully, a little less terrifying than it could be. Dr. Han stressed that superficial clots, the kind Hurts has, are way less dangerous than the dreaded “deep vein thrombosis,” or DVT, that we’ve seen wreck careers in sports. Remember Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama? He had DVT in his right shoulder and missed 30 games of the 2024-25 season. And then there’s Chris Bosh, a two-time NBA champ who had to retire early because of a clotting condition. Those DVT situations are career-enders. Dr. Han made it clear, “The interesting part is that the superficial vein thromboses typically are not dangerous to that degree and the treatment for what you would need for both is a little bit different as well.” So, it’s not ideal, but it’s not Bosh-level bad, which is a huge relief. The Eagles’ statement said Hurts requested this check-up four days after their Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, so at least they’re on top of it now.
The Eagles are clearly holding their breath on this one. With Hurts out for at least a week, and a potential return in under four weeks, every snap until he’s back is gonna feel like an eternity for Philly fans. They need him healthy and back on the field, and fast.
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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