Jalen Hurts’ recovery from a calf injury has taken a much more serious turn.
On Monday morning, his agent, Nicole Lynn, said additional medical testing showed the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has “deep vein thrombosis” in his injured calf along with “bilateral pulmonary emboli.” That means blood clots in both lungs, a condition that can become life-threatening if it is not treated.
Lynn said Hurts is stable and recovering.
“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 specify a timetable, but ESPN NFL insider Ian Rapoport is reporting Hurts will miss an “estimated three months.” If that holds, he would be out until some time in January, which would mean at least the rest of the regular season.
The diagnosis is a stark shift from where things stood after Hurts initially suffered the injury. He was first said to have a “superficial” blood clot after a cleat hit to the calf in the Eagles’ Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Following the team’s flight to London for a Week 5 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he sought medical treatment and still played in that game. Last week, he was placed on injured reserve, which guarantees he will miss at least four weeks.
Hurts’ path to the NFL went through Alabama, where he played from 2016-18 and helped the Crimson Tide reach three straight College Football Playoff National Championship Games, including the 2017 title. He then transferred to Oklahoma for his final season before the Eagles selected him in the second round in 2020.
He eventually seized Philadelphia’s starting job late in his rookie season and later guided the Eagles to a Super Bowl championship at the end of the 2024 season.
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