Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is facing a career-threatening health scare after being diagnosed with multiple blood clots in his lungs. The condition, discovered after initial symptoms in London, has led to him being placed on injured reserve and will require him to miss the remainder of the NFL season.
Following the diagnosis, Hurts' mother, Pamela, shared a message on TikTok encouraging gratitude. "Just a reminder y'all, be grateful," she said in a video, filmed while seemingly walking around her home. "Be grateful for where you are and what you have because your life could change at a blink of an eye. Be grateful. What are you grateful for?"
The Eagles organization confirmed in a statement that Hurts is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations. His treatment will involve anticoagulation therapy, commonly known as blood thinners. During this period, he will be prohibited from participating in any contact activities, including football. The team expressed confidence in his prognosis, stating, "Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery." They anticipate he will be able to resume football activities once he is no longer on blood thinners, and they expect no long-term effects. He will remain connected to the team and continue conditioning.
The decision to allow Hurts to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars after receiving treatment in London has drawn scrutiny. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni defended the team's medical protocols, emphasizing player health as the top priority. "The health of our players are as always at the forefront of our mind and leave that up to the medical experts," Sirianni stated at a press conference. "We always, always care deeply about our players... We have great people here."
Hurts himself briefly commented on the experience following his return from London, before the full extent of his condition was public. "It was a very unique experience, to say the least," he said. "I don't want to get into the details of kind of leading up to the game and whatnot, but got nicked up in the Rams game."