Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/bdefwvdj
Originally published Oct. 19, 2026
PHILADELPHIA — With franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts expected to miss the rest of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in both lungs, the Eagles face a crisis that goes well beyond football.
And they’ll continue being dogged by questions about how they handled the situation in the first place.
Coach Nick Sirianni faced the media alone Monday. Despite being repeatedly asked every which way, he declined to give any details into the medical care Hurts received, the decision to play him against the Jaguars in London or the decision to let him get back on a plane after the discovery of a clot in his calf.
“The health of our players is always at the forefront of our mind,” Sirianni said. “We leave that up to the medial experts. You’re always thinking about the well-being of your guys, and that’s where we were in that situation.
“I’m a football coach. I lean on our medical experts in every situation. I have full trust and full faith in them. It’s not just me that has major care for our players; it’s them as well.
“Guys, I’ve addressed this. The medical experts are there. … We put out a statement for you guys to hear. We put out multiple statements for you guys to hear. … I understand you want information on this. I fully trust the people that are involved in helping us make these decisions.”
Hurts, 28, initially was diagnosed with a superficial blood clot in his left calf after arriving in London on Oct. 10. Team doctors and specialists cleared him to play the following day against Jacksonville. He played every offensive snap.
Four days later, the Eagles ruled him out after a follow-up ultrasound revealed movement in the clot. On Monday, several hours before Sirianni spoke, the team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, announced a more serious diagnosis: deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli.
The Eagles have drawn criticism for allowing Hurts to play after the initial diagnosis and for not publicly disclosing the clot before the Jacksonville game.
Multiple reports have even stated Hurts was awake for 36 hours at a London hospital before kickoff. He didn’t participate in warmups and apparently got a small amount of rest in a room at the stadium.
The NFL confirmed it had been informed about the injury before the game started, and the team defended its handling of the injury report. The Eagles maintained that doctors had determined that Hurts could safely play.
Whether that decision — or the overseas flights — contributed to his worsening condition has not been established. But the sequence raises uncomfortable questions about medical judgment, player safety and transparency.
The good news is that Hurts is stable. His prognosis is encouraging.
“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the team and Lynn said in their joint statement.
The bad news, for football purposes, is that Hurts must take blood thinners and cannot participate in contact activities during treatment.
In fact, clots like he has, even after a person has healed, can require blood thinners to be taken the rest of one’s life. That would end Hurts’ career. Playing football on blood thinners is too dangerous.
It means general manager Howie Roseman has major decisions to make before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, including whether he wants to stockpile more picks to draft a new quarterback.
That leaves the Eagles in the hands of Tanner McKee.
McKee completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 25-14 loss to Carolina. The Eagles fell to 2-4, their fourth straight defeat.
Now McKee must try to rescue an offense already battered by injuries, inconsistency and the retirement of All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson.
Behind him are rookie fifth-round QB Cole Payton and Joe Milton III, signed last week. Obviously, none of them offers Hurts’ established combination of experience, mobility, leadership and winning.
Sirianni has guided the Eagles to five straight playoff appearances. A sixth looks doubtful.
But football now comes second.
The questions about Hurts’ medical care and the team’s handling of the situation aren’t going away. The Eagles can replace a quarterback in the lineup. Replacing what Hurts means to the franchise is another matter.
And getting him healthy is the only victory that truly matters now.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.