The NFL has mounted a forceful defense of the Philadelphia Eagles’ treatment of quarterback Jalen Hurts after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season because of multiple blood clots in his lungs.
Hurts first developed concerns about a blood clot after a cleat struck his calf during Philadelphia’s game against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the issue, he went on to play the following week in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to reports, Hurts took to the field having barely slept after staying in the hospital until 4am the night before the game. After flying back to the US, the quarterback was placed on injured reserve and missed this weekend’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The seriousness of Hurts’ condition became clear in a statement released Monday. It said specialists in London initially diagnosed him with a superficial thrombosis in a vein of his left calf, but additional tests and observation later confirmed deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli in both lungs.
The revelation prompted intense criticism of the Eagles’ medical team. One expert told the Daily Mail that allowing Hurts to take part in the game was “the craziest decision” he could imagine, describing the situation as reckless on a catastrophic level and suggesting those responsible would have to be held accountable.
NFL medical and safety officials, however, have rejected what they called “nonsense” surrounding the injury, arguing that considerable uninformed speculation had been circulated about Hurts’ treatment.
The Philadelphia Eagles have faced fierce scrutiny since it emerged that star quarterback Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the NFL season
Dr. Allen Sills and Jeff Miller strongly defended the way Hurts’ medical situation was managed
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni addressed the controversy during an emphatic media conference Monday
“The idea that outside influences played a role, or that one of our doctors would knowingly place a player in danger, is nonsense,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said.
He said every person involved had acted with the patient’s welfare as the central concern, regardless of the player’s profile or identity, adding that this was the most important point.
Speaking at the league’s annual fall meeting, Sills said he had complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff. He described their approach as cautious, patient-focused and appropriately guarded throughout the process.
Sills also cautioned against judging the medical process solely by the eventual outcome. In some cases, he said, doctors can make the correct decisions while an illness continues to develop or new complications emerge.
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According to Sills, the medical team acted with exceptional vigilance and identified conditions that might have gone undetected in someone who was not a professional athlete. He pointed to the conservative treatment, close monitoring and advanced imaging carried out in London.
He added that he was confident in the timing of the decisions made and believed everyone involved had operated with an abundance of caution.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president responsible for player health and safety, backed Sills’ assessment.
“Jalen Hurts’ health was always the first priority,” Miller said, criticizing what he called considerable and uninformed speculation in reports published the previous day.
Miller said the facts surrounding the case were now publicly available, including the conservative measures taken to protect Hurts’ health. He stressed that the quarterback’s well-being remained the priority.
Doctors discovered multiple blood clots in the lungs of the Eagles’ star quarterback
As the criticism mounted Tuesday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also defended the organization’s medical staff, saying he had complete trust and faith in their judgment.
“Our players’ health is always at the forefront of our minds, and I leave those decisions to the medical experts,” Sirianni said. He added that the Eagles care deeply about the well-being of every player.
Hurts’ treatment moving forward involves blood thinners, and he will not be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is off them.
The Eagles posted a lengthy update on the quarterback’s condition on Monday, in which they revealed ‘he is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations.
‘Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,’ it read. ‘We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.
‘In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.’