Senator Rochester presses NFL chief for transparency over Jalen Hurts' blood clot handling
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell demanding answers on league protocols for blood clots after quarterback Jalen Hurts' recent medical case, amid broader criticism that the NFL may be downplaying player health risks.
Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) has written to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pressing for clarity on how the league and the Philadelphia Eagles handled quarterback Jalen Hurts' recent blood clot issues. The letter lays out five pointed inquiries, including whether the NFL has a league-wide protocol for detecting, preventing and treating deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, what medical guidelines shape such protocols, and what standards control a player’s clearance to return after a suspected clot.
The senator also asked what education is provided to players, trainers and coaches on recognizing clot symptoms, what safeguards exist to reduce clot risk during long flights, and whether the league will review the Eagles’ decisions to clear Hurts for play and then send him on transatlantic travel, requesting a timeline for any investigation.
The NFL Players Association has called for a full investigation, citing its rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, while congressional oversight powers could also be invoked given the league’s broadcast antitrust exemption. Advocates say a standardized protocol for blood clots, similar to the concussion-diagnosis system that uses independent neuro-trauma consultants, is necessary to confront serious health risks instead of leaving them to inconsistent team-by-team discretion.
"Someone also should ask whether the league will implement a protocol for blood clots and other potentially serious health conditions, similar to the procedures utilized for diagnosing concussions and clearing players to return to play," the letter states.
The request comes amid broader concerns that the NFL may be trying to minimize attention to the issue and protect itself from accountability.