Jalen Hurts is done for the season. Just days after he suited up and played for the Eagles against the Jaguars in London, doctors found multiple blood clots in his lungs, and now he’s out for the rest of the year. This bombshell news came after he was initially diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf and cleared to play before that Week 5 game. Wild, right?
The League Comes Out Swinging For Eagles’ Medical Staff
The league’s top medical brass is *not* backing down on how this went down. NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills came out swinging at a news conference Tuesday, straight up calling any idea that “external factors” pushed doctors to put a player in harm’s way “nonsense.” Seriously, he said “nonsense.” He sounded super confident in the Eagles’ medical staff, who he’s known for three decades. The NFL isn’t even punishing the Eagles for how they handled Hurts. Sills described the Eagles’ treatment as “very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded in every step.” They’ve been in touch with the Eagles’ medical team and Cleveland Clinic London the whole time.
Hurts’ Condition And The Unfounded Speculation
This whole situation blew up, with tons of speculation flying around about why Hurts was allowed to play in London. But Jeff Miller, the NFL exec VP for player health and safety, called all that chatter “considerable and uninformed,” saying it’s “unfounded.” He stressed that “Conservative steps were taken to ensure Jalen Hurts’ health was always made the first priority and continues to be.” Hurts, 28, is a three-time Pro Bowler, and now he’s looking at around three months of treatment with blood thinners. His agent, Nicole Lynn, along with the Eagles, confirmed Monday that Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. That means a clot literally traveled from his legs to his lungs. Yikes.
The NFL’s Stance On Medical Calls
The NFL is playing it close to the vest on Hurts’ specifics, citing medical privacy, which is fair. But Sills made it clear that doctors making these calls are *not* taking orders from “a football person, a non-medical person. Period.” He even slammed online doctors speculating without all the info, calling it “unprofessional and unethical,” talking about a “sacred trust” between docs and patients. The league has apparently been tracking blood clot cases for the last decade, sharing data with the NFLPA, and sees “a handful of cases” every year. Sills said it’s not a “new situation,” but something they always examine. They even prep for medical care one to two years ahead of international games, scoping out hospitals and doctors.
So, there you have it. Hurts is out, the league is standing by the Eagles’ medical team, and they’re shutting down the doubters. Hurts has a long road ahead with that three-month treatment plan. It’s a brutal end to the season for him, and a stark reminder that player health is always the ultimate game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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