The latest details around Jalen Hurts’ calf injury make his Week 6 outing against the Jaguars look even more remarkable - and a lot stranger.
What initially sounded like a short-term issue after Week 5 has turned into something far more serious for the Eagles quarterback. Hurts was first believed to be dealing with a superficial blood clot that would only keep him out for one week, but he was placed on injured reserve a few days later. The full picture is harsher: he’s going on blood thinners and is out for the rest of the year.
Then came the added context from NFL insider Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. According to Pelissero, Hurts’ initial diagnosis before the Jaguars game left him awake for roughly 36 hours before he took the field in London.
"How committed is Jalen Hurts to football? After initially being diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in London, doctors told him not to sleep as a precaution, so he had been awake for roughly 36 hours when he started against the Jaguars, throwing for 220 yards and a TD."
Hurts still went out and played well in the matchup, even without any sleep. In the 21-of-40 passing performance, he finished with 220 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while taking one sack and running for two yards.
He connected on a 62-yard touchdown to Darius Cooper and also helped lead what should have been a game-winning field-goal drive, all without his best offensive weapons available. The Eagles lost, but Hurts still turned in a strong effort against a tough Jacksonville defense.
Now that the blood clot situation has become more serious and his season is over, the circumstances around that London game stand out even more. Hurts played through the game after being awake for 36 hours, and the questions about why he was out there at all are only going to grow.
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Jaguars Have One Trade Deadline Need They Cant Ignore
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Jaguars Snap Counts Raised A Bigger Question About Hunter And Brian Thomas
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On the defensive side, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen carried the heaviest workload, each playing 56 of 62 snaps, which is hardly a surprise for two of the units most important pieces. The more interesting part for the Jaguars is what the offensive rotation might mean going forward, especially with Hunters usage trending upward and Thomas playing time dipping in a game where both players were expected to matter. [Read more 🡒]