Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season after blood clots were found in his lungs, the Philadelphia Eagles announced on Monday. The team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, released a joint statement detailing his diagnosis following an initial report of a superficial blood clot in his left calf.
Hurts was originally sidelined in Week 6 due to a clot thought to be superficial vein thrombosis. However, a follow-up scan over the weekend revealed a more serious condition: deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning multiple blood clots had developed in his lungs. The Eagles confirmed that Hurts is clinically stable, has no significant functional limitations, and his prognosis is “very good,” but he will undergo treatment with blood thinners that will prevent him from participating in any contact activities, including football, until the medication is stopped.
The statement said Hurts will remain active around the team and continue conditioning, but his recovery will keep him off the field for the foreseeable future. “We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners,” the team added. “More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”
Hurts’ condition initially went unnoticed until he arrived in London for the Eagles’ Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was first diagnosed there with the calf clot and was advised by doctors not to sleep as a precaution, leading him to stay awake for about 36 hours before the game. Despite this, Hurts started the match, throwing for 220 yards and a touchdown.
The blood clot was later classified as “provoked,” meaning it was caused by an injury sustained when Hurts was cleated in his calf during Philadelphia’s Week 4 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a week before the London game. Hurts appeared on the injury report with the calf issue on the Friday before the Jaguars game and participated fully in practice with no injury designation before the Sunday match. He reportedly went to the hospital the evening before the game.
With Hurts sidelined, the Eagles will rely on Tanner McKee at quarterback. McKee, a 2023 sixth-round draft pick, made his first start of the season against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. He threw for 215 yards and a touchdown in a 25-15 loss that dropped Philadelphia’s record to 2-4.
Hurts, 28, is in his seventh NFL season with the Eagles, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft. Over his career, he has earned three Pro Bowl selections and helped lead Philadelphia to two NFC titles and a Super Bowl championship at the end of the 2024 season. Hurts holds the single-game Super Bowl record for rushing yards by a quarterback, with 72 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He is one of only two players, alongside Terrell Davis, to run for three touchdowns in a Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl LIX, Hurts was named MVP after recording 293 total yards and scoring three total touchdowns in the Eagles’ 40-22 victory over the Chiefs. He also holds the highest career completion percentage in Super Bowl history among passers with at least 40 attempts, at 73.3%.
The Eagles and Hurts’ representatives said they are “thinking of Jalen and looking forward to a strong recovery” as the quarterback begins his treatment and rehabilitation.
According to CBS.
