No, Jalen Hurts isn’t done for the year, at least not yet. The Eagles quarterback is out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers with a blood clot in his calf, and the team hasn’t said when he’ll be back. But Philadelphia decided not to put him on injured reserve, which tells you it thinks he could return within a few weeks, The Big Lead reported, citing ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Short-term IR would have kept Hurts out until at least the Nov. 22 game against the Steelers. Keeping him on the active roster leaves the door open for the Cowboys game on Oct. 26 or the trip to Washington on Nov. 1.
What happened to Jalen Hurts?
He got cleated in the calf during the Oct. 4 loss to the Rams. On Oct. 8 he reported calf trouble, and an ultrasound in London before the Jaguars game found a small, superficial clot. Doctors cleared him, and he played the whole game, NFL.com reported. He went 21 of 40 for 220 yards in a 19-17 loss on a 57-yard walk-off field goal.
Then on Wednesday night, a follow-up ultrasound showed the clot had moved. That’s what changed things. The Eagles said he’ll sit “as we determine the appropriate course of treatment.” Coach Nick Sirianni didn’t give a timeline Friday. “Jalen’s health is of utmost importance to all of us in the building,” he said.
How long can a blood clot keep an NFL player out?
It depends on the treatment. A superficial clot sits in a vein near the skin and is usually less dangerous than a deep vein clot. It can get better in one to several weeks, CBS Sports reported, citing Harvard Health. The worry is that a clot that moves could, in rare cases, reach the lungs. That’s called a pulmonary embolism, and it can be deadly.
The other big factor is blood thinners. A player can’t take hits while on them because of the bleeding risk. It isn’t confirmed Hurts will need them. Some doctors outside the team, who haven’t examined him, say he could miss several weeks. If the clot gets worse, he could need about three months of blood thinners, which would wipe out most of the regular season.
Who’s playing quarterback for the Eagles?
Tanner McKee, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of Stanford, will make his third career start Sunday at 1 p.m. He’s 1-1 as a starter, both in Week 18 games. The Eagles also signed Joe Milton III off Dallas’ practice squad Friday. They’re 2-3 and have lost three straight, after Lane Johnson’s retirement and injuries to Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith. Hurts has 933 passing yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season.
The BeezLoop Take
The Eagles’ decision to keep Hurts off IR is the most useful information anyone has right now. Teams don’t hold a roster spot for a player they expect to miss two months. So, for now, the honest answer to “Is he done?” is no.
But a clot is not a hamstring, and the question that matters is his health, not the standings. If he needs blood thinners, Philadelphia should take as long as it takes. A 2-3 start doesn’t justify rushing a quarterback back with a clot in his leg.
The open question: will Hurts need blood thinners, and if he does, can a 2-3 team stay in the race long enough for him to come back?
Also on BeezLoop: Stephen A. Smith and Lane Johnson’s mental health retirement, and Josh Jacobs being cleared to return for the Packers.
Sources: NFL.com · CBS Sports · The Big Lead, via Yahoo Sports · 6abc Philadelphia (video)
