NFL Reviews Hurts’ Care After Clot Clearance

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts took all 62 offensive snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars after medical staff cleared him to play with a superficial blood clot. Now the NFL and NFL Players Association say they’re reviewing how that decision was handled, days after the union called for an investigation.

Who Made the Call

Hurts played in Week 5 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. He’d visited a London hospital the night before the game, which the Eagles lost 19-17. After Hurts returned to the United States, the clot reportedly moved, and doctors diagnosed clots in his lungs. The Eagles announced on Oct. 19 that he had blood clots and would miss the rest of the season.

The report described Hurts’ condition as deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He was placed on injured reserve and put on a blood-thinner regimen. He can’t play until the clots are treated and he’s off blood thinners, a process expected to keep him out for the remainder of the regular season and possibly longer.

Philadelphia hasn’t made its medical staff or general manager Howie Roseman available to answer questions. Coach Nick Sirianni answered questions but offered no detailed explanation, saying he wasn’t a doctor. Tanner McKee was named the Eagles’ quarterback for the foreseeable future, including a Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The League’s Version

The NFL said the Week 5 clearance process was handled properly and said it wouldn’t punish the Eagles. The league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said he had “complete confidence in the Eagles medical staff and their handling of this situation.” That assurance came from the league’s own medical leadership, while the NFLPA questioned it and invoked its right under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to have the matter investigated.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he welcomed an investigation. “I'm not sure how much international travel had to do with this in that context,” Goodell said. “That's for maybe the medical professionals to tell us if that had any impact. I haven't heard that to date.”

He also said: “Well, we welcome that. That's part of our process and that's fine. Our chief medical officer has been through the protocols that were followed. So, we welcome that and if that's what they did, they have that right.”

Goodell said: “Obviously, there was a medical evaluation. And I think our protocols were incredibly good there. The most important thing here is Jalen's health, ultimately, and the future of a wonderful young man and just a great player. He's someone we all care deeply about. I'm more worried about his health ultimately but the protocols were followed. Our process is to make sure that's the case and our chief medical officer has gone through that so we're comfortable with what we see the protocols that happened.” The league has declared its process sound; the union has asked to examine it.

A Review Without a Public Timetable

OutKick reported that a source said the investigation had begun and had “no timetable for completion.” The joint NFL and NFLPA statement, reported Sunday, Oct. 25, said: “The NFL and NFL Players Association are working together to review the matter.” The league and union haven’t released the questions guiding that review.

The Athletic also reported that the Eagles and the NFL denied wrongdoing in how Hurts’ injury was handled. The review therefore centers on institutions examining a decision made within their own system: medical staff cleared Hurts, the league says the protocols were followed, and the players’ union has invoked its contractual right to investigate. Hurts’ health is the stated priority. The answers remain with the league, the team and the union, while the public still hasn’t been given the review’s questions or a completion date.