Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts visited the team's facilities on Wednesday, marking his first return to the Jefferson Health Training Complex since his diagnosis with blood clots in his lungs. The visit occurred weeks after Hurts was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to the condition, which had raised concerns about his career.
Hurts reunited with his teammates, some of whom had not seen him since he was placed on injured reserve. According to ESPN's Tim McManus, Hurts attended team meetings and other sessions but did not address the team.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni expressed his feelings about Hurts' absence, stating, "I miss him like crazy." He added, "I've talked to him and am in constant communication with him and know he's resting and recovering. I miss him like crazy. But nothing new on that front. I know he's resting and recovering, and we're all still praying for him and hoping for a speedy recovery."
Hurts was placed on injured reserve on October 17, following the Eagles' Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Reports indicate Hurts played in that game after staying in the hospital until 4 a.m. the night before, having been initially diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf. Further testing revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. The decision to allow him to fly back to America after the diagnosis drew criticism.
The NFL's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, defended the Eagles' medical staff, calling speculation about external factors or players being put in harm's way "nonsense." He stated that the staff acted with the player's best interests at heart and characterized their handling of the situation as "very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step."