Michael Robinson, an analyst for the NFL Network, apologized after facing significant backlash for comments he made regarding Jalen Hurts’ blood clot issue. Robinson had suggested that the Eagles quarterback might be trying to escape a “lost season.”
During last Thursday’s “NFL Gameday Kickoff,” Robinson shared his thoughts despite admitting that he’s not a medical expert. His remarks sparked considerable debate, especially after it was revealed on Monday that Hurts had blood clots in both lungs.
This prompted Robinson to express his regrets via a social media statement on Monday night.
“I want to sincerely apologize to Jalen Hurts, his family, the Philadelphia Eagles organization, and the fan base for my comments last Thursday. They were baseless, and I should not have speculated about a player’s health or commitment to the team,” Robinson stated.
He acknowledged in his post that his “comments were wrong” and that there was “no excuse” for what he said.
Robinson had initially speculated that the Eagles could use Hurts’ struggles to justify moving on from him in the draft. He implied that Hurts might be using the injury as a way to distance himself from blame for the team’s poor performance.
“It seemed like they were trying to attribute this season’s issues to Jalen Hurts to have an excuse to let him go,” Robinson commented. “And, I mean, I’m not saying I’m an expert here, but if I were in Hurts’ shoes—or part of his team—I’d probably think, ‘Well, if everyone’s hurt, I’m hurt, too.’”
He added, “It looked like Jalen was kind of stepping back to ensure this lost season doesn’t reflect solely on him.”
Initially, Hurts had been diagnosed with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis, but further testing revealed he was actually dealing with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.
The team stated that “He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations. His treatment should only involve anticoagulation (blood thinners).”
They continued, “During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football. Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We believe he will be able to resume contact football activities once off the blood thinners, and he will remain active around the team and continue conditioning. More importantly, we anticipate he will have no long-term effects.”
This season hasn’t been the best for Hurts, with only 933 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions so far.
