NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league has no problem with the players’ union investigating how the Philadelphia Eagles handled quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clot scare. “We welcome that,” Goodell told reporters on Wednesday at the NFL’s quarterly ownership meetings in New York, as the controversy over Hurts’ medical care keeps growing.
Jalen Hurts (Credits: Philadelphia Eagles)
Why the NFLPA Wants Answers
The NFL Players Association has called for a “full investigation” into the circumstances surrounding Hurts flying to London with a blood clot in his leg, playing an entire game with it, and flying back to Philadelphia with it still untreated. The union has the power to trigger a review on its own — under Article 39, Section 5(f) of the collective bargaining agreement, either the league or the NFLPA can launch an investigation before the Accountability and Care Committee over medical care provided by club-affiliated personnel.
The timeline has drawn fierce scrutiny. After Hurts was cleated in a 24-20 loss on October 4, he requested calf treatment and a pre-game screening in London diagnosed a “superficial vein thrombosis.” He was cleared to play the October 11 game against Jacksonville — and played all of it, going 21-of-40 for 220 yards. But it later emerged the clot had traveled from his left calf to his lungs, leaving him with deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolisms.
Season Over, Questions Remain
Hurts is now on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season. Goodell defended the process, saying the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, had gone through every step and that “our protocols were incredibly good there.” Sills had already offered a passionate defense of the Eagles’ medical staff, and league officials say they were in touch with team doctors, trainers, and the Cleveland Clinic in London.
Goodell downplayed the role of international travel, saying: “The most important thing here is Jalen’s health, ultimately, and the future of him. He’s a wonderful young man: not just a great player, but he’s someone we all care deeply about.”
Whether the NFLPA’s full investigation uncovers missteps the league’s internal review missed is now the question hanging over the rest of the Eagles’ season.
Also Read: NFLPA Demands ‘Full Investigation’ Into Jalen Hurts’ Medical Care After Blood Clot Diagnosis, Giants to Start J.J. McCarthy at QB Against Texans After Stunning Fourth-Quarter Surge
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
