NFL Will Not Punish Eagles Over Handling of Jalen Hurts’ Blood Clots

The NFL will not punish or investigate the Philadelphia Eagles for their handling of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clots, the league said in a statement Tuesday. The decision followed days of public debate over whether the team should have let Hurts take the field after a blood clot was found in his calf.

Hurts was diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs after being cleared to play in Philadelphia’s Oct. 11 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London while dealing with what was then a superficial blood clot, USA Today reported. He was treated at the Cleveland Clinic in London.

“We don’t have protocol about this,” the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said Tuesday at the NFL owners’ fall meeting in New York. “I have complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff and their handling of this situation, and I would characterize their work as very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step.”

Sills dismissed suggestions that coaches or owners influenced the medical decisions, saying team doctors answer to their oath to the patient. The league said its officials had been in contact with the Eagles’ medical staff and the Cleveland Clinic throughout Hurts’ treatment.

League executive Jeff Miller said there had been “considerable and uninformed speculation” in Monday’s reporting. He defended the doctors involved, saying none of them deserved the “unfounded criticism” directed at them in the press, and said Hurts’ health had always been the top priority.

Union demands a full investigation

The NFL Players Association took a different view, calling for a “full investigation into what occurred” with Hurts. The union told USA Today Sports it was “not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts” and that the league had previously informed the union it did not plan to review his care.

“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred,” the union said in its statement. “Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”

How the diagnosis changed

The Eagles first announced on Thursday, Oct. 15, that Hurts had a superficial blood clot and would miss the game against the Carolina Panthers. On Monday, the team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, said in a joint statement that the clot had progressed into deep-vein thrombosis and multiple clots in his lungs.

Hurts is being treated with blood thinners. His season is likely over, though no exact recovery timeline has been set. The statement said his prognosis is good and he is expected to make a full recovery.

Head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday he had complete faith in the organization’s medical staff. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie attended the owners’ meeting in New York on Tuesday but did not speak to reporters.

Reporting based on coverage by USA Today.