Key Takeaways
- Jalen Hurts was placed on injured reserve Saturday by the Philadelphia Eagles due to a superficial blood clot, reversing the team's earlier stance.
- The clot traces back to the Oct. 4 loss to the Rams when Hurts was stepped on by a cleat, and a follow-up ultrasound on Oct. 14 showed the clot had moved.
- The diagnosis is superficial thrombophlebitis, which can propagate into the deep-vein system or the lungs, making roughly 10 percent of cases riskier to clear for play.
- Injured reserve's four-week minimum means Hurts misses games against the Panthers, Cowboys, Commanders, and Giants, with Tanner McKee taking over offense.
Jalen Hurts is out indefinitely for a major medical reason.
The Philadelphia Eagles placed its quarterback on injured reserve because of a superficial blood clot, ESPN reported Saturday (Oct. 17), a reversal from the team's position hours earlier. The move followed a day of additional consultations with doctors and outside experts.
During the Eagles’ Oct. 4 loss to the Rams, Hurts was stepped on by a player’s cleat. He sought calf treatment four days later.
An ultrasound in London on Oct. 10 found the superficial clot, and doctors cleared him to play. He took the field without limitation in the Week 5 loss to Jacksonville, completing 21 of 40 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown.
A follow-up ultrasound on Oct. 14 showed the clot had moved. That result held Hurts out against Carolina and set Saturday's decision in motion.
Cardiologists have identified the diagnosis as superficial thrombophlebitis, a clot in a surface-level vein that brings redness, warmth, and tenderness, and is considered far less dangerous than deep vein thrombosis.
The reason for caution sits in the small percentages. Roughly 10 percent of superficial clot cases see the clot push into the deep-vein system, and a player cannot take the field while on blood thinners.
Injured reserve carries a four-week minimum, which means Hurts misses the Panthers, Cowboys, Commanders, and Giants before Philadelphia's Week 10 bye. Tanner McKee inherits the offense of a 2-3 team that has lost three straight.
Hurts, 28, had thrown eight touchdowns against three interceptions in five starts 20 months after he was named Super Bowl 59 MVP.
