The Eagles Failed Jalen Hurts

On Monday, Oct. 19, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that quarterback Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the 2026 season after doctors found several blood clots in his lungs. The news comes days after a follow-up ultrasound showed movement in what had first been diagnosed as a superficial blood clot. Hurts suffered that injury when he took a cleat to the calf during Philadelphia’s 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4.

Hurts is expected to make a full recovery in about three months. But the way the Eagles handled the two weeks between that Rams game and today deserves scrutiny.

The timeline

Hurts practiced in full on Oct. 7 and 8 before asking the medical staff for treatment after practice on Oct. 8. He practiced again the next day and traveled with the team to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to the team’s statement, an ultrasound in London on Oct. 10, after the flight, found the superficial clot. Doctors cleared him to play. They said activity and mobility were important and recommended a follow-up ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return flight.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, doctors also recommended that Hurts not sleep. By kickoff, he had been awake for roughly 36 hours. He didn’t take the field until just before kickoff and rode a stationary bike between series. Asked about it afterward, Hurts said he’d gotten “nicked up” against the Rams and declined to get into the details of the lead-up to the game.

Look at the order of events. Long flights are a well-known risk factor for blood clots. A player with a calf injury he had just reported was put on a transatlantic flight and examined only after landing. We may never know whether the clot formed or worsened during the trip, but that sequence is hard to defend.

Playing on an isolated, superficial clot isn’t unusual. What’s harder to explain is the combination: a medical recommendation to stay awake, alongside clearance to spend an afternoon being chased by 270-pound defensive linemen. If his condition was serious enough that he shouldn’t sleep, it’s fair to ask why he was allowed to play.

The result

Philadelphia lost 19-17. The offense managed 22 rushing yards as a team. Hurts completed 21 of 40 passes, finished with a 38.6 QBR and attempted only two rushes. It’s impossible to separate the lack of sleep from everything else working against him, but 36 hours awake certainly didn’t help.

And plenty was working against him. Lane Johnson retired days before Hurts reported the injury. Cam Jurgens, who hadn’t played this season, was traded to the Ravens on Oct. 7. Landon Dickerson went on injured reserve at the end of September. Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and DeVonta Smith were all out.

To the offensive line’s credit, Hurts was sacked once and hit four times across 43 dropbacks. But the Eagles sent a compromised quarterback out behind a patchwork line, without three key skill players. That was a recipe for disaster.

The missing backup

The obvious alternative would have been to start a veteran backup. The Eagles didn’t have one. They released Andy Dalton on Oct. 9, one day after Hurts reported the injury. When Hurts was ruled out against Carolina, Tanner McKee made his third career start, and the team reportedly reached out to Dalton about re-signing. He declined and signed with the Atlanta Falcons instead.

Not admirable

Some pundits on X are holding Hurts up as the ultimate selfless player for suiting up despite the diagnosis. That shouldn’t be the takeaway. I’m sure Hurts pushed to play, because that’s who he is. But protecting players from their own competitiveness is exactly what the people around them are for.

Now that we know how serious the clots were, Hurts’ full recovery is good news. It’s also luck, not a credit to how the Eagles handled it.