Chris “Mad Dog” Russo slammed the NFL and Philadelphia Eagles over their handling of Jalen Hurts’ blood clot diagnosis, calling the team’s response “horrendous” and questioning the league’s dedication to player safety. On Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” Russo expressed disbelief in the NFL’s actions after the Eagles quarterback was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in both lungs.
“One thing if I may about this whole thing with Hurts, the Eagles did a horrendous job,” Russo said. He added that he did not trust the NFL, citing the league’s past handling of concussion issues and its push for an 18th regular-season game despite player safety concerns. “I’m going to believe the NFL now that doesn’t have grass fields, that didn’t do anything with CTE until they were forced to, that wants to play an 18th game for the safety of the players when they want to play another game.”
Russo’s comments came outside his usual “What Are You Mad About?” segment and focused on the complex situation surrounding one of the NFL’s biggest stars. He also criticised the Eagles for leaving coach Nick Sirianni to answer questions about Hurts’ medical condition, arguing the team should have made a medical professional available to the media.
“Put a trainer out there! Put a team doctor!” Russo said. “You make the poor guy answer questions with a hungry media in Philadelphia? That was a disgrace!”
The controversy began after the Eagles’ Oct. 11 game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team revealed that an ultrasound on Oct. 10 showed a superficial blood clot in Hurts’ calf, but medical staff deemed him fit to play. Hurts started the game and flew back to the United States with the team.
Hurts was ruled out for the following week’s game against the Carolina Panthers after a subsequent ultrasound detected movement in the clot. On Monday, the Eagles confirmed that further tests revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning blood clots were present in both lungs. The injury will sideline Hurts for the rest of the 2026 NFL season.
Reporting on Hurts’ condition during the London trip also drew scrutiny. NFL insider Tom Pelissero initially reported that Hurts had been awake for roughly 36 hours before playing, allegedly on doctors’ advice to avoid sleeping as a precaution. Pelissero later retracted that claim after Hurts’ agent Nicole Lynn said the quarterback had slept after returning from hospital early Sunday morning. The NFL disputed the suggestion that doctors told Hurts to remain awake.
Russo’s criticism highlights tensions between the NFL’s public messaging on player health and its operational decisions. ESPN’s relationship with the league adds complexity since the network holds a major broadcast deal, including coverage of the Super Bowl in February 2027. Russo’s outspoken remarks on “First Take” underscore an ongoing debate about risk and responsibility in professional football.
The Eagles have not publicly addressed Russo’s comments but remain focused on managing Hurts’ recovery. Meanwhile, questions linger over how the team and league handled the initial diagnosis and communication with the public.
According to Yahoo Sports.