NFL defends Eagles' handling of
Jalen Hurts' blood clots while union calls for an investigation
[October 21, 2026]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL staunchly defended the Philadelphia Eagles'
handling of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ blood clots on Tuesday, while
hours later the players' union called for an investigation of the
situation.
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Associated
Press that the Eagles were not being disciplined for their actions
with Hurts. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of
anonymity because conversations between the league and team were to
remain private.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, offered a
passionate defense of how the Eagles treated Hurts, following a
statement from the league that said officials had been in contact
with Philadelphia’s medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in
London throughout the process.
“I have complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff and their
handling of this situation, and I would characterize their work as
very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at
every step,” Sills said at the league’s annual fall meeting. “I
don’t think you can take that outcome and say there was something
flawed about the process. Sometimes in medicine, we do all the right
things and diseases progress and other things develop. ...
“In this case, everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly
vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions
that might not have been diagnosed in a nonathlete.”
The NFL Players Association in a statement said it was told by the
league that a review was not planned.
“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled,
there must be a full investigation into what occurred,” the union
said. “Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players
receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”
Hurts is on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the
season after a blood clot in his left calf traveled to his lungs.
The Eagles and agent Nicole Lynn said Monday that Hurts has deep
vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolisms.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller took issue with “uninformed
speculation” in reports Monday that Hurts went more than 30 hours
without sleep last weekend before playing.
“Jalen Hurts returned to the hotel, slept for a period of time and
went to the stadium,” Miller said, estimating that Hurts slept for
around seven or eight hours. “Both talking to the Eagles’ staff and
making sure from people on the ground, tracking the case, talking to
the independent hospital and doctors involved that we have, I think,
a complete understanding of the course of events.”
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) passes the ball
during an NFL football game against Jacksonville Jaguars in London,
Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Sills said the league and the players' union study
and track blood clots annually. He declined to go into specifics
about Hurts' condition, citing patient privacy, and reiterated
multiple times that treating a blood clot involves looking at
multiple factors.
Dr. Caron Rockman, a vascular surgeon for roughly 30 years, said
based on what she has read, there's no evidence the Eagles acted
improperly while dealing with what she called not a textbook issue.
“It’s a judgment call,” said Rockman, who is currently a chair at
Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey and did not treat
Hurts. “I think it’s really a case-by-case basis. In my personal
opinion, superficial vein thrombosis is not a (disqualification) to
fly.”
Hurts' treatment moving forward involves blood thinners, and he will
not be allowed to participate in any football activities until he is
off them.
Hurts played in London against Jacksonville on Oct. 11, three days
after informing medical staff of the injury after practice. He was
initially diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf
superficial vein thrombosis.
“I think there was incredible vigilance, there was conservative
care, state-of-the-art imaging that was done in London,” Sills said.
“And, as far as the timing and the decision-making, I have great
confidence in that and believe that everyone acted with an abundance
of caution.”
Sills in his opening statement that lasted more than five minutes
said all decisions are made with medicine over football.
“The notion that there are external factors or that any of our
physicians would put a player in harm’s way — that’s nonsense,”
Sills said.
___
AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix and AP Pro Football Writer
Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.
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