The Eagles are really struggling right now. After a tough start to the season, they just lost their fifth consecutive game against the Cowboys on Monday night. The NFL seems to be taking a serious look at the situation, particularly how the team managed Jalen Hurts’ health.
Hurts has been sidelined due to blood clots that made their way to his lungs, effectively ending his season. There’s a lot of chatter about whether the Eagles acted appropriately regarding his injury, and how quickly they took action to address it. A report from the Philadelphia Inquirer cited a source who claimed the league is “furious” with the Eagles. It’s quite understandable; when a high-profile player like Hurts is hurt, it raises major concerns about player safety within the league.
Currently, there’s an investigation underway by the NFL and NFLPA concerning how the Eagles have dealt with Hurts’ injury. They’re trying to figure out if the organization did anything to worsen his condition or if there was any misleading information about the severity of the injury. Let’s break down the timeline of events regarding Hurts.
The Eagles faced the Rams and lost 24-20. During that game, Hurts got a cleat to the calf, which is pretty common in football, but it appears he didn’t report the injury to the medical staff at the time.
From October 5 to 7, Hurts returned to his normal training routine, with the Eagles stating he hadn’t communicated any issues. However, later on, he did inform the medical team about discomfort in his calf. Surprisingly, he kept practicing and, for the first time, was added to the injury report, practicing through the week but listed with an “Unspecified” status.
Then the team flew to London for their match against the Jaguars, and Hurts was on board, suggesting he was set to play. After arriving, they did some imaging on him, revealing “small superficial blood clots” in his problematic calf.
Hurts was hospitalized for monitoring and had to stay overnight, although he was instructed not to sleep to avoid exacerbating the clots. Remarkably, doctors cleared him to play in the London game, suggesting that mobility might help his condition.
During the Week 5 game against the Jaguars, Hurts led the team to another loss. He later described the experience as “very unique,” before flying back to Philadelphia.
Subsequent tests showed the blood clots in his calf had migrated to his lungs, leading to a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary embolism. As a result, Hurts has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 NFL season.
The NFLPA is now calling for a thorough investigation into how the Eagles managed Hurts’ health after learning that the NFL isn’t planning to investigate on its own. Two main points need to be addressed:
- Was there any mention that Hurts could have blood clots when he first reported calf soreness?
- Did specialists in London actually diagnose him with DVT? If they did, what led to the decision to let him play despite the serious injury? And what safety measures were in place for his return flight?
The NFL has come to the Eagles’ defense, stating that all protocols were followed. Dr. Allan Sills, the league’s top medical officer, noted that blood clot incidents are tracked each year, and there are several cases.
This raises some eyebrows, though. If they’re tracking such incidents, teams should be aware of the early signs and risks, especially given Hurts’ calf soreness after the game against the Rams. But it seems the Eagles didn’t really try to look into it until they hit London.
Additionally, it’s concerning to note that long flights can actually contribute to the development or worsening of blood clots, with DVT being a risk factor during these journeys.
Reports suggest that the NFL and NFLPA are set to conduct a joint investigation into how the Eagles managed Hurts’ situation.
This investigation will scrutinize not just how Hurts was treated leading up to his injury but also the overall role of medical staff in decision-making related to player health. There’s been an understanding that the league, the union, and the teams must prioritize player welfare, which is supposed to be self-governing due to the financial investments players make.
However, this Eagles situation complicates things. With their quarterback depth in jeopardy, they desperately needed Hurts on the field, which might have influenced the decisions made regarding his health. There’s currently no timeline for how long the investigation will take, but its outcomes could lead to penalties for the Eagles or changes in medical protocols throughout the league.
