Jalen Hurts To Miss The Rest Of The 2026 NFL Season With Blood Clot Diagnosis
BY: MIKIYA GREENE / STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 19, 2026, it was announced that the Philadelphia Eagles’ superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts would miss the rest of the 2026-27 NFL season after being diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs.
The shocking news comes just over a week after the 28-year-old was diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf after an ultrasound on Oct. 10. Hurts was medically cleared to play in a full game against the Jacksonville Jaguars the day after.
In an ESPN article, Hurts’s agent, Nicole Lynn, issued a statement detailing the full extent of Jalen’s diagnosis.
“Jalen was initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis. After further testing and monitoring, the current diagnosis is a Deep Vein Thrombosis, as well as Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli. He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations,” Lynn wrote.
This is potentially a life-threatening condition, but Lynn confirmed that Hurts is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery.
Hurts is receiving blood-thinning treatment and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, although he hasn’t officially been ruled out by the Eagles.
The Controversy
There has been a global outrage against the Philadelphia Eagles since the news about Hurts was released. The biggest issue is that the Eagles allowed Hurts to play a full game after traveling to London, England, despite the knowledge of his diagnosis.
Hurts stayed up during the Eagles’ entire 36-hour trip out of an abundance of caution, according to a story published by Yahoo Sports. Traveling with blood clots has been considered extremely dangerous for patients who have them, as it can increase the chances of Deep Vein Thrombosis (which we see with Hurts).
According to the Eagles, medical professionals in London evaluated Hurts and medically cleared the quarterback to participate. However, since the news broke, there have been a lot of questions surrounding the handling of this high-intensity situation.
The NFL has since announced that the Eagles would not be punished for the supervision of Hurts’ injury. However, the National Football League Player Association called for an investigation into the case, according to a report by Reuters.
“The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received.”
The Full Timeline
Oct. 4: Hurts got hit in his calf by a cleat during the Eagles’ matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Oct. 8: Hurts informs the Eagles medical staff about his calf injury and requests two days of treatment. The medical staff didn’t know about the injury until this day.
Oct. 9: Hurts receives treatment and participates in a full practice. He is placed on the injury report for Week 5, with the Eagles slated to play against the Jaguars.
Oct. 10: Hurts and the Eagles land in London. Cleveland Clinic medical staff perform an ultrasound on Hurts’s calf. Results show a left calf superficial Deep Vein Thrombosis. Eagles and Cleveland Clinic staff review the results and determine Hurts is cleared to play.
Oct. 11: Hurts plays a full game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He throws for 220 yards and plays without limitation. Eagles lose 17-19. Eagles fly back to Philadelphia. He receives medical treatment for the next two days.
Oct. 14: Hurts returns to practice and speaks on his injury to the press for the first time. A follow-up ultrasound reveals movement in his blood clot.
Oct. 16: Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni is asked about Hurts’ injury. He doesn’t answer most questions, but a statement was pulled from a Why article. “I know there’s a great deal of interest in Jalen’s health, but I’m not going to get too much into any of that,” he said. “Jalen’s health is of the utmost importance to all of us in this building, we care deeply about Jalen. Like I said, I’m not going to get too much into that.”
Oct. 17: Jalen Hurts is placed on Injury Reserve (meaning he’d miss at least four games). Eagles releases a statement detailing that he’d be out for their game against the Carolina Panthers as they “determine the appropriate course of treatment”. They end their statement with placing emphasis on his health and safety.
Oct. 18: Eagles lose Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. Hurts was not on the sideline, and Tanner McKee was named QB1.
Oct. 19: The Eagles and Hurts’ agent both announce statements that detail the extent of his injury and his treatment process. He is on blood thinners currently, but won’t be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is off of them, and there is no timetable for his return.
The Outcome
Hurts hasn’t missed more than five games in his NFL career since he became a quarterback in 2021.
The Eagles have been on a 3-game losing streak since Hurts has been out, and their record sits at 2-6 on the season. They are 4th in the NFC East.
Looking at an ESPN report, they’re currently averaging 17.1 points a game under first-year playcaller Sean Mannion, and the losses of key players (right tackle Lane Johnson, center Cam Jurgens, and multiple other player injuries) have put the Sirianni-led team in a tough spot.
“It is on all of us to figure out how to get things going in the right direction. Obviously, right now they're not,” Sirianni said in a presser on Nov. 2. “But again, this is the ultimate team game and we're in the problem-solving business.”
The handling of Hurts and his injury has put not only the Eagles on notice, but the entire league as well. How medical staff and coaches respond to athletes and the trauma to their bodies should be met with the utmost seriousness and research.
As the NFL grows and expands, there should be more emphasis on rest and recovery. These men play a lot of games, and they exert their bodies tremendously.
The league - and every single NFL team - should not forget that players are only as good as you prepare and condition them to be.
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