Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season after doctors found multiple blood clots in the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback's lungs. He will be treated with blood thinners for at least three months, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The team says it expects him to make a full recovery.
What did the Eagles say about Jalen Hurts?
On Monday, the Eagles and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, released a joint statement. It said the three-time Pro Bowler has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot traveled from his leg to both lungs.
According to the statement, Hurts is "clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations." He cannot take part in football activities while on anticoagulation medication.
"Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery," the statement said. "We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners... More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects."
How did this start?
The problem first surfaced in London, before the Eagles' Week 5 game against Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. At that point it was described as a superficial blood clot in his calf.
Sources told Rapoport that Hurts:
- was in hospital until about 4 a.m. on game day
- did not sleep the night before, because he was told sleeping carried risks with the clot
- played anyway, throwing 40 passes in a 19-17 loss
The clot is considered "provoked," sources told NFL Network, because Hurts was cleated in the calf. A provoked clot is one with a known cause, and it generally carries a better outlook with treatment.
The Eagles put him on injured reserve on Friday after consulting numerous doctors and specialists.
What does it mean for the Eagles?
The timing could hardly be worse. Philadelphia is 2-4 after Sunday's 25-14 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, and has lost four in a row for the first time since 2020, according to AP.
| Week 6 vs. Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Eagles QB | Tanner McKee (26 of 45, 215 yards, 1 TD) |
| Panthers QB | Bryce Young (281 yards, 2 TDs) |
| Final | Panthers 25, Eagles 14 |
| Also missing | RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring) |
Tanner McKee, in his fourth season, has now started three NFL games. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football in Week 7. Dallas is an early 4.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings odds published by ESPN.
For more on how the Cowboys arrived at that game, see our Cowboys–Packers Week 6 coverage.
Will Hurts play again this season?
The reported timeline of three months or more stretches into January, past the end of the regular season. That makes a return unlikely unless the Eagles go deep into the playoffs, and they would first have to get there without him.
The team's statement says the priority is a full recovery. "He will remain active around the team and continue to condition," it said.
