The NFL Players Association has demanded a “full investigation” into how Jalen Hurts was treated after multiple blood clots were found in his lungs.
Hurts initially developed blood clots after a cleat struck his calf during the Eagles’ game against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite the diagnosis, he went on to play in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars the following week.
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.
A statement released Monday revealed the seriousness of the situation. It said Hurts was first diagnosed by specialists in London with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis, but further testing and monitoring later identified a deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli in both lungs.
The NFLPA has now publicly addressed the case, calling for a comprehensive investigation into the quarterback’s treatment.
A statement from the organization read: ‘The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received.
Jalen Hurts developed blood clots after a cleat struck his calf against the Rams.
The NFL Players Association is seeking a “full investigation” into Hurts’ treatment.
“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred,” the NFLPA said. “Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”
Hurts’ diagnosis prompted fierce criticism of the Eagles’ medical team. One expert told Our News Outlet that allowing him to play was “the craziest decision that I can fathom,” adding that the situation was “reckless on a catastrophic level.”
However, senior NFL officials rejected what they described as “nonsense” surrounding Hurts’ injury, saying the case had generated “considerable and uninformed speculation.”
NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said: “The notion that there are external factors or that any of our physicians would put a player in harm’s way—that’s nonsense.”
“Everyone acted at every moment with the patient’s best interests at heart, regardless of their identity. That’s really the most important thing,” Sills added.
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Speaking at the league’s annual fall meeting, Sills said he had complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff. He described their handling of the case as “very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step.”
“I don’t think you can take that outcome and say there was something flawed about the process,” Sills said. “Sometimes in medicine, we do all the right things and diseases progress and other things develop.”
Sills also said the medical team had acted with “incredible vigilance,” providing conservative care and state-of-the-art imaging in London. He added that the conditions may not have been identified as quickly in a nonathlete.
Multiple blood clots were discovered in the lungs of the Eagles’ star quarterback.
Dr. Allen Sills and Jeff Miller strongly defended the way Hurts’ case was handled.
“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 said.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president responsible for player health and safety, also defended the medical response.
“Jalen Hurts’ health was always made the first priority,” Miller said. “There was considerable and uninformed speculation yesterday in the reporting.”
“I understand that all the facts are now publicly available and have been widely reported, including the conservative steps taken to ensure Jalen Hurts’ health was always the first priority—and continues to be,” he added.
Amid the initial backlash on Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni also defended the team’s medical staff, insisting he has ‘full trust and full faith in them.’
‘The health of our players are as always at the forefront of our mind and I leave that up to the medical experts,’ he said. ‘But we always, always care deeply about our players.’
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’.
