Jalen Hurts’ calf injury has taken a far more serious turn than the Eagles originally hoped.
Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, said Monday morning that further medical testing showed the Philadelphia quarterback has “deep vein thrombosis” in his injured calf and “bilateral pulmonary emboli.” Those blood clots are in both lungs, and Lynn’s statement made clear the condition requires immediate treatment.
“He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations,” Lynn wrote in a statement. “His treatment should only involve anticoagulation (i.e., ‘blood thinners’). During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.
“Jalen’s progress is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.”
Lynn did not give a timetable for Hurts’ return, but ESPN NFL insider Ian Rapoport is reporting an “estimated three months” on the sideline. If that proves accurate, Hurts would be out until sometime in January, which would wipe out essentially the rest of the regular season at minimum.
The injury traces back to a cleat strike to Hurts’ calf in the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He was initially told the issue was a “superficial” blood clot, then sought medical treatment after the team’s flight to London for Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and still played in that game. Hurts was placed on injured reserve last week, a move that required him to miss at least four weeks.
Hurts’ path to Philadelphia started at Alabama, where he played from 2016-18 and helped the Crimson Tide reach three straight College Football Playoff National Championship Games, including a win in 2017. He transferred to Oklahoma for his final college season before the Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He eventually became Philadelphia’s starter late in his rookie year and later guided the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship at the end of the 2024 season.
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