Jalen Hurts' Season Is Likely Over After a Calf Clot Spread to Both Lungs

Two weeks ago, Jalen Hurts took a cleat to the left calf against the Rams. On Monday, his agent and the Eagles said what was first diagnosed as a superficial clot in that calf is now a deep vein thrombosis with clots in both lungs, and his season is expected to be over (NFL.com).

Hurts will need blood thinners for an estimated three months, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter (ESPN). Three months from now is mid-January. Philadelphia's regular season ends Jan. 10 at the Giants (schedule).

How a calf injury reached the lungs

Think of a clot as a logjam in a stream. One in a vein near the skin usually stays put. One in a deep vein can shed pieces that float downstream, and in the body the next stop is the lungs. That, ESPN reported, is what happened here: a clot traveled from his leg to his lungs.

The Eagles' timeline: Hurts was cleated on Oct. 4, asked for treatment on Oct. 8, and was diagnosed in London on Oct. 10 with what the team called a "superficial blood clot." Team medical staff and doctors decided he "could safely play" against Jacksonville. A follow-up exam last Wednesday "revealed movement in the small blood clot" (NFL.com). New imaging came back Saturday showing clots in his lungs, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported (Pelissero on X).

The London night is the detail people will remember. Hurts was in the hospital until 4 a.m. and did not sleep, because he was told sleeping posed a risk, Rapoport reported. Pelissero put it at roughly 36 hours awake by kickoff. Hurts threw 40 passes in a 19-17 loss (ESPN; Pelissero on X).

What the statement says

The joint statement from agent Nicole Lynn and the team says Hurts "is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations." His treatment "should only involve anticoagulation (i.e. 'blood thinners'). During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football."

It ends on a hopeful note: "Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects."

The reason for that confidence is the cause. Rapoport reported the clot is considered "provoked," meaning it had a known trigger: the cleat to the calf. That, he wrote, "indicates it is a solvable issue with treatment and care" (Rapoport on X).

The case people will reach for is Chris Bosh. The Heat star missed the rest of the 2014-15 season with clots in a lung, came back the next fall, then had another clot in 2016 and never played again (USA Today; NBA.com). The difference in Hurts' case, by Rapoport's reporting, is that his clot had a known trigger, and the statement speaks of a full recovery with no long-term effects.

Where it leaves the Eagles

Philadelphia is 2-4 and has lost four straight, the first such skid under Nick Sirianni, yet still sits second in the NFC East behind the 3-2-1 Giants (standings; Philadelphia sports coverage). Tanner McKee, 26, started Sunday's 25-14 loss to Carolina, going 26 of 45 for 215 yards and a touchdown. Behind him are Joe Milton III, signed off Dallas' practice squad, and rookie Cole Payton on the practice squad (NFL.com).

McKee gets Dallas next, at home on Monday, Oct. 26 (schedule). The division is weak enough that the season is not lost. But for the next three months, the most important thing Hurts can do is rest and recover, and that is the part of this that no one should argue with.