The Philadelphia Eagles have made the call they hoped to avoid. After a day of back-and-forth reports, the team officially placed star quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve on Saturday afternoon, sidelining the three-time Pro Bowler indefinitely with a superficial blood clot in his calf.
Jalen Hurts (Credits: ESPN)
The decision came after consultations with “numerous doctors and experts” that stretched into Saturday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Earlier in the day, Schefter had reported the Eagles had “no plans” to use the IR designation — but additional medical information that surfaced within the last 24 hours changed the team’s mind, and Philadelphia reversed course.
Under NFL rules, the IR placement means the 28-year-old must miss at least four games: Sunday’s home matchup with the Carolina Panthers, plus games against the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants, before the Eagles’ bye in Week 10 — when the team will fully re-evaluate both his health and the season’s outlook.
How The Clot Was Discovered
The saga began in the October 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, when Hurts was cleated and began experiencing calf discomfort. An ultrasound conducted later in London detected the blood clot — yet medical personnel initially cleared him to play in last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hurts played “without limitation” that Sunday, received treatment Monday and Tuesday, and practiced in full on Wednesday. But a follow-up ultrasound Wednesday night revealed movement in the clot, prompting the team to rule him out for the Panthers game — and now, for far longer.
Blood clots are most commonly treated with anticoagulants, better known as blood thinners, and a player cannot play while on them. The Eagles believe the condition is treatable, and the ultimate decision on when Hurts returns will come from his medical team — with the franchise ready to follow their lead. Head coach Nick Sirianni has repeatedly emphasized that Hurts’ health comes first.
What It Means For The Eagles
Backup Tanner McKee will start Sunday against Carolina “and moving forward,” per Rapoport, with the Eagles also adding quarterback Joe Milton from the Cowboys for depth. Philadelphia also signed running back Jaydon Blue to the active roster and elevated outside linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby and safety Cole Wisniewski for the game.
The timing could hardly be worse. The Eagles sit at 2-3 after three consecutive losses, also dealing with the absence of running back Saquon Barkley, and their season is slipping toward a crossroads. As Rapoport put it on Saturday: “This is about much more than football.”
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
