Eagles QB Jalen Hurts out for season due to blood clots in lungs

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on Oct 19, 2026

Published in Football

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Jalen Hurts’ medical situation is more serious than initially believed, as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has been diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs, his agent and the team announced Monday.

Hurts is out for the season as he receives treatment, ESPN and NFL Network reported after the announcement that Hurts was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.

Hurts is clinically stable, and his treatment should be limited to blood thinners, agent Nicole Lynn and the Eagles said in a joint statement.

“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the statement reads. “We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.”

A pulmonary embolism is “a blood clot that travels to your lungs from somewhere else in your body and blocks blood flow,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Hurts, 28, was initially diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his calf after he reported being “cleated” in the leg during an Oct. 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. A superficial blood clot “occurs in the superficial veins, closer to the skin” and is usually less dangerous than deep vein thrombosis, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Following the original diagnosis, Hurts was cleared to play in the Eagles’ Oct. 11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

Hurts had remained awake until early the morning before that game, getting evaluated at a hospital, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported Monday, citing the quarterback’s agent.

“He was able to sleep upon rejoining the team and the Eagles set aside a room for him at the stadium,” Pelissero wrote on social media. “Videos from the stadium show Hurts coming onto the field just before kickoff and he felt rested enough to play.”

A follow-up ultrasound last week revealed movement in the blood clot, the Eagles said, prompting the team to rule Hurts out before Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers and ultimately place him on injured reserve.

Hurts cannot participate in contact activities, including football, until he completes his treatment.

“In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition,” Lynn and the Eagles said in their statement. “More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”

The decision to let Hurts play on Oct. 11 drew criticism after Monday’s revelation, with head coach Nick Sirianni saying he leans on the team’s medical experts, whom he has “full trust and full faith” in.

“The health of our players is always at the forefront of our mind,” Sirriani told reporters on a video call. “We leave that up to the medical experts, but we always, always care deeply about our players.”

The Eagles (2-4) have lost four games in a row and trail the division-leading New York Giants (3-2-1) by 1.5 games in the NFC East.

Tanner McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick, started Sunday in Hurts’ absence and completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ 25-14 loss to the Panthers in Philadelphia.

McKee, 26, is 1-2 as a starter in his NFL career. Last week, the Eagles signed strong-armed third-year quarterback Joe Milton off of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Hurts completed 57.8% of his passes for 933 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions in five games.

His injury is one of many for the Eagles, who have been without star running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) in their last two games. Top receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) returned Sunday after a two-game absence.

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