The Philadelphia Eagles will be without their starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
The franchise announced Monday that Jalen Hurts would be sidelined for multiple months after imaging diagnosed deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in his lungs.
Hurts’ “prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the Eagles said in a joint statement with Nicole Lynn, the quarterback’s agent. He is being treated with blood thinners, but is on strict no-contact orders.
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“We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume football activities when off the blood thinners,” team officials said. “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.”
Philadelphia had already moved the signal-caller to injured reserve before Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ backup, is expected to lead the offense for the foreseeable future. Cole Payton, a fifth-round rookie, is next in line. Philadelphia also signed quarterback Joe Milton from the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.
Hurts first reported a problem with his calf following a practice on Oct. 8 after he took a cleat to the area during a loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4.
Hurts practiced the following week and informed the medical staff of the injury following the Oct. 8 practice. The issue wasn’t considered problematic enough to keep him from traveling with the team to London for the Oct. 11 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Out of an abundance of caution, an ultrasound was performed on Saturday following the team’s flight to London and walkthrough,” the Eagles said in a statement last week. “The ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot. Our medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the results and concluded that activity and mobility were important and that Jalen could safely play. Doctors recommended a follow-up ultrasound within 72 hours of the game and the return flight to Philadelphia.”
Even so, team officials determined that he could safely play against Jacksonville.
Eagles representatives did not confirm whether the blood clot moved from his calf to his lung, or if the initial diagnosis was incorrect. Hurts’ current diagnosis — “deep vein thrombosis as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli” — is significantly more serious.
His return-to-play timeline has also shifted. The Eagles initially ruled Hurts out for the Carolina game before moving him to injured reserve — which sidelines him for at least four games — on Saturday. Monday’s update was season-ending news, according to multiple reports.
Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton received a similar diagnosis in late June. He couldn’t make his season debut until Sunday, nearly four months after doctors initially discovered the clots in his right lung.
The Eagles are in the middle of a tight race for the NFC East crown. None of the four franchises, including the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Washington Commanders, have impressed through the first six weeks of the season.
Philadelphia, New York and Dallas all lost on Sunday, while Washington entered Monday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers as heavy underdogs. The 3-2-1 Giants hold a narrow lead over the Eagles and Cowboys, who both sit at 2-4. The Commanders fell to 1-3-1 — and 0-2-1 in divisional play — after a tie against the Giants on Oct. 11.
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