NFL Defends Eagles' Handling of Jalen Hurts' Blood Clots as QB Faces 3-Month Absence
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Oct 20
NFL Defends Eagles' Handling of Jalen Hurts' Blood Clots as QB Faces 3-Month Absence
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Oct 20
Summary
NFL officials said Tuesday they will not punish Philadelphia over Jalen Hurts' care, calling the Eagles' handling of his blood clot issue "very conservative" and player-focused.
Hurts, 28, was cleared to play in Week 5 in London after an initial superficial calf clot, but doctors found multiple clots in his lungs days later that will sideline him for about three months.
Allen Sills and Jeff Miller said speculation over why Hurts was allowed to play was uninformed, adding that independent medical experts are not directed by teams or other football personnel.
The league said it stayed in contact with Eagles staff and Cleveland Clinic London throughout treatment and plans international-game medical support one to two years in advance.
Sills said the NFL has tracked a handful of blood clot cases each season for a decade with the NFLPA, framing Hurts' case as serious but not unprecedented.