The Philadelphia Eagles are suddenly dealing with a far bigger concern than a Week 6 game plan.
Jalen Hurts will miss Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Panthers after the team said Thursday that he is dealing with a superficial blood clot in his calf that worsened after he played through the issue last week. The Eagles made the announcement after another ultrasound showed “movement in the small blood clot,” forcing them to shut him down.
Hurts’ situation traces back to the Eagles’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4, when he was cleated. According to the team’s statement, he went to the training staff the following Thursday for treatment after practicing on Wednesday and Thursday, then received more treatment before practicing again on Friday.
The Eagles then traveled to London and lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While there, medical staff conducted an ultrasound on Saturday and found the blood clot. The team said “medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play.”
Hurts did play, and he “played without limitation" while throwing for 220 yards and a touchdown. His rushing numbers, though, were nearly nonexistent: just two yards on two carries, his lowest carry total of the season.
Back in Philadelphia, Hurts got treatment on Monday and Tuesday before returning to practice on Wednesday. When asked about it afterward, he didn’t offer much detail, saying he was “nicked up” in the game against the Rams.
But the situation worsened enough on Wednesday night to rule him out. Tanner McKee will start at quarterback for Philadelphia against Carolina, and Hurts could be out longer than one game depending on how this develops.
The Eagles said Hurts will not return until the issue is fully resolved.
The timing is rough for Philadelphia, which is off to a 2-3 start. Hurts has completed 57.8% of his passes for 933 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has added 107 rushing yards on 23 carries. For now, though, his health is the priority.
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Kentuckys report adds another layer to the pregame picture, with former Oklahoma wide receiver Nic Anderson listed as probable for the Wildcats. The board on both sides is crowded enough to make the final injury updates worth watching, especially for an Oklahoma team trying to steady itself before another conference test. [Read more 🡒]
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Oklahoma May Have Found Exactly What It Needed After Beating Texas
Beating the No. 1 Texas Longhorns did more than snap Oklahomas recent frustrations, it gave this team a clearer sense of who it can be when the pieces start to fit. After a stretch defined by shaky offensive line play and quarterback mistakes, the Sooners looked far more settled in the win, with John Mateer operating more cleanly and the ground game getting meaningful help from Lloyd Avant and Jonathan Hatton Jr.
Will Stein now has a reason to believe the offense can carry some of that confidence into the next stretch, starting with Kentucky and a new-look challenge on the schedule. The question is whether this was just a rivalry jolt or the kind of performance that finally points Oklahoma toward something more stable as the season keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]