The NFL has backed the Philadelphia Eagles’ medical response to Jalen Hurts’ blood-clot condition while accepting the NFL Players Association’s request for an independent review.
Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had examined the steps taken after Hurts’ medical issue emerged and believes established protocols were followed. Hurts has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after a clot in his left calf reached his lungs.
- Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: Injured reserve; expected to be out for the season. Diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolisms after a blood clot in his left calf traveled to his lungs.
NFL supports review of Eagles’ handling
Goodell addressed the matter following the league’s annual fall meeting in New York, saying chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills had reviewed the Eagles’ process. The commissioner said the players’ union was entitled to seek a review and that the NFL would cooperate with it.
“There was a medical evaluation, and our protocols were very strong in that situation,” Goodell said. “The procedures were followed. Our responsibility is to verify that, and our chief medical officer has reviewed it. We are satisfied that the protocol requirements were met.”
Sills had defended Philadelphia’s medical staff a day earlier. League officials also communicated with the Eagles’ physicians and athletic trainers, along with the Cleveland Clinic in London.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president, said the league has established a clear understanding of the timeline surrounding Hurts’ condition. He rejected a claim that Hurts had remained awake for more than 30 hours before Philadelphia’s Oct. 11 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Miller said Hurts returned to the team hotel and slept for approximately seven to eight hours before that game.
The Eagles and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, announced Monday that the quarterback had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolisms. The condition involves clotting in a deep vein and clots affecting both lungs.
Goodell also minimized suggestions that overseas travel was a central factor in Hurts’ medical emergency, instead emphasizing the quarterback’s recovery.
“Jalen’s health and his future are what matter most,” Goodell said. “He is an outstanding young man, not only an outstanding player, and he is someone we all care about deeply. My concern is his health above all else, while the protocols were followed.”
Week ahead
Hurts is expected to remain sidelined for the rest of the season while he recovers. The NFL Players Association has requested a review of the Eagles’ handling of the situation, and the league has said it welcomes that process.
