Blood clots in lungs sideline Jalen Hurts for rest of season
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Jalen Hurts has blood clots in both of his lungs. He is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season.
- His agent and the Eagles say he is stable. His treatment is blood thinners. A full recovery is expected.
- Backup Tanner McKee is in line to start the rest of the way. The Eagles are 2-4 after four straight losses.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has blood clots in both of his lungs. He is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season. His agent says he is stable and expected to make a full recovery.
What happened
The news came in a joint statement on Monday, October 19. The statement came from Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, and the Philadelphia Eagles. It said further medical imaging found the clots.
The formal diagnosis is deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. That means blood clots in both lungs, according to Reuters.
The problem started with a hit. Hurts took a cleat to his left calf on October 4. That was during a game against the Los Angeles Rams.
He told the team's medical staff about the pain after practice on October 8. He practiced again the next day. Then the team flew to London.
An ultrasound in London on October 10 found a superficial blood clot in his calf. A superficial clot sits in a vein close to the skin. Doctors cleared him to play the next day.
He played against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 11. He threw 40 passes in a 19-17 loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The buildup to that game was rough. Hurts stayed in a London hospital until 4 in the morning on game day, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He did not sleep the night before the game.
Doctors had told him that sleep was a risk with the clot. In all, he was awake for about 36 hours before kickoff, according to USA Today.
After the team returned home, Hurts had another ultrasound. It showed the clot had moved. The Eagles ruled him out of the Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers.
They placed him on injured reserve. That move meant he would miss at least four games.
Then the weekend imaging found the lung clots. That changed everything.
Why it matters
Hurts is the heart of the Eagles. He is 28 years old. He has a 59-28 record as the team's starter, according to Reuters.
He led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title in February 2025. He was named MVP of that game against the Kansas City Chiefs. For his career, he has thrown for 18,824 yards and 118 touchdowns.
This season, he started five games. He completed 57.8 percent of his passes. He threw for 933 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The team went 2-3 in those games.
Without him, the Eagles lost again on Sunday. Backup Tanner McKee started in his place. He completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown.
Philadelphia lost 25-14 at home. It was the team's fourth straight loss. The Eagles are now 2-4.
McKee is 26. The Eagles picked him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. He played college football at Stanford.
USA Today reports McKee is in line to start the rest of the season.
The saga also raises hard questions. Head coach Nick Sirianni faced reporters on October 19. He defended the decision to let Hurts play in London.
Sirianni said he is not a medical expert. He said he trusts the team's medical staff.
The Eagles' joint statement said doctors in London reviewed the ultrasound results. They decided activity and mobility were important. They cleared him to play.
What "blood clots in the lungs" means
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that blocks a lung artery. That is the definition from the Mayo Clinic, cited by USA Today.
"Bilateral" means it affects both sides. So Hurts has clots blocking arteries in both lungs.
The clots likely traveled from his leg. A deep vein thrombosis is a clot in a deep vein. It often forms in the leg.
When a piece breaks off, it can travel to the lungs. That is the most common cause of a pulmonary embolism, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Signs of a pulmonary embolism include shortness of breath and chest pain. Fainting is another sign. A fast or uneven heartbeat can also occur.
Blood thinners are the standard treatment. They stop clots from growing. They stop new clots from forming.
But they do not mix with contact sports. A hard hit while on blood thinners can cause dangerous bleeding. That is why Hurts cannot play while he takes them.
There is one hopeful detail. Sources told NFL Network that Hurts' clot is "provoked." That means doctors know what caused it: the cleat to his calf.
Provoked clots respond well to treatment. The prognosis is favorable, the sources said.
What happens next
Hurts is already on injured reserve. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports he will miss the rest of the season. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says the same.
The treatment is expected to keep him sidelined for at least three months.
The team says the outlook is bright. "Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery," the joint statement said. The statement added that no long-term effects are expected.
Hurts will stay around the team. He will keep conditioning. He can return to contact football once he is off blood thinners.
McKee takes over for now. The Eagles sit at 2-4 in a rough season. Their playoff hopes now rest on a young backup.
The story moved fast. A calf knock in early October became a season-ending diagnosis by October 19. For the Eagles, the season now turns on how McKee handles the job.
For Hurts, the wait begins. The next update will come from his doctors, not the scoreboard.
This article is for information only. It is not medical advice.
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