NFL says it communicated with Eagles about quarterback Jalen Hurts' pre-game blood clot
The league confirmed it was in contact with Philadelphia ahead of the Week 5 game in London after an ultrasound revealed quarterback Jalen Hurts had a blood clot, and said the team did not list him as questionable because he was expected to play.
Philadelphia Eagles officials disclosed that quarterback Jalen Hurts was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg following an ultrasound after the team arrived in London for its Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team said it kept the league informed throughout the process.
An NFL spokesperson responded to inquiries, stating, "The team was in contact with the league throughout the process, including the morning of the game. A team would need to make a public announcement immediately if there was any question as to his availability or if he would be impacted in any way. That was not the case here. We would not want a team to list a player as ‘questionable’ on gameday morning when the team knows with 100 percent certainty that he will play in the game… Hurts played 100 percent of the snaps on offense during the game and there was no issue."
The league noted that injury-reporting policies allow teams to withhold certain medical details until a player’s status is definitively known. Hurts was listed with a calf injury on the official report, and the clot was not publicly disclosed until after the game. The clot later migrated, rendering Hurts unavailable for the following week’s contest.
Commentary in the source suggested that the current reporting rules may warrant review to improve transparency for fans and bettors, but the NFL did not comment on potential regulatory changes.