Jalen Hurts will not be on the field Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Carolina Panthers, after the team ruled out its starting quarterback because of a superficial blood clot.
The Eagles said Thursday that they originally believed Hurts was dealing with a calf injury from the Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. After the team went to London for its Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hurts had an ultrasound that showed a blood clot. At the time, the Eagles’ medical staff and doctors determined he was safe to play.
That changed after a follow-up ultrasound on Wednesday, when the team said it found movement in the blood clot. That result led to Hurts being ruled out for Week 6.
The team laid out the timeline in a detailed statement, saying Hurts first went to the training room after practice on Thursday, October 8th, asking for treatment on his calf. He told the medical staff he had been cleated during the Rams game on October 4th. The Eagles said that was his first treatment session for the calf issue after he had practiced in full on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Philadelphia added that Hurts received treatment on Friday, practiced in full again and was placed on the practice report. Then, after the flight to London and a walkthrough on Saturday, the team performed an ultrasound “out of an abundance of caution,” and that scan found a superficial blood clot.
According to the team, doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that mobility and activity mattered, and that Hurts could safely play. They recommended another ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return trip to Philadelphia.
Hurts played in Sunday’s game without limitation, then received treatment on Monday and Tuesday and practiced in full on Wednesday, as the team noted in its report. Philadelphia also said it stayed in contact with the league office throughout the London trip and this week.
But Wednesday night’s follow-up scan showed movement in the small blood clot, and that left the Eagles to shut him down for Sunday while they figure out the next step in treatment. As the team put it: "His health and safety are our highest priority."
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