Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts faces long absence after lung clots

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts could miss the rest of the NFL season after doctors found blood clots in both lungs, a diagnosis that has raised questions about his clearance to play in London days after a clot was detected in his left calf.

Hurts has deep vein thrombosis in his left leg and bilateral pulmonary emboli, the Eagles and his agent, Nicole Lynn, said in a statement Monday. He is taking blood thinners and will not play while on the medication. They said his “prognosis is very good, and we anticipate a full recovery.”

The diagnosis followed Hurts’ appearance in the Eagles’ 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Oct. 11. He threw for 222 yards and a touchdown after doctors found what the team described as a superficial clot in his calf the day before the game.

According to The Guardian, citing ESPN, Hurts first told the Eagles’ medical staff about calf pain on Oct. 8. The team said he flew to London with his teammates and received an ultrasound there out of an “abundance of caution.” The Eagles said their medical staff and doctors in London agreed that activity and mobility were important, and he was cleared to play.

CBS News reported that doctors told Hurts to stay awake overnight before the game and that he went roughly 36 hours without sleep, citing NFL insiders. Lynn later clarified that Hurts did get some sleep before facing the Jaguars, according to The Guardian.

Hurts flew back to the United States with the team and practiced the following week. A follow-up ultrasound found the lung clots, The Guardian reported. The Eagles and Lynn said he had received “comprehensive medical evaluations by physician experts” over the preceding days.

A deep vein thrombosis forms in a deep vein, usually in a leg, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot travels to the lungs and can be life-threatening. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook, who is not treating Hurts, said it was “too soon to know” whether the condition could end his career.

LaPook said blood thinners are commonly used for three months before doctors reassess a patient. He also said long flights can increase clotting risk because passengers may become dehydrated and spend extended periods without moving. The CDC warns that limited mobility during long-distance travel can raise the risk of venous blood clots.

Asked Monday why Hurts had been allowed to play and fly home, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni deferred to the team’s medical staff. “I’m a football coach. I lean on our medical experts in every situation,” he said. “I have full trust and full faith in them.”

The Eagles and Lynn said Hurts would remain active around the team and continue conditioning. They anticipate he can resume contact football after he stops taking blood thinners and expect “no long-term effects.”