Updated Oct. 19, 2026, 10:36 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts‘ blood clotting issue will keep him out more long-term.
Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, shared in a Monday, Oct. 19 statement that further imaging resulted in a diagnosis of bilateral pulmonary emboli – meaning the quarterback has blood clots in both lungs. Lynn said he is in stable condition and his treatment will consist of taking blood thinners. As a result, he will be unable to participate in contact activities.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Hurts will miss the rest of the season while recovering.
“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” Lynn wrote in her statement. “We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.”
Jalen Hurts injury update
Hurts will miss the rest of the 2026 season with his blood clotting issue, according to multiple reports.
The Eagles‘ quarterback underwent more imaging over the weekend that revealed blood clots had traveled to both of his lungs, his agent wrote in a statement.
Hurts was initially diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis while in London last week, but the current diagnosis is deep vein thrombosis with bilateral pulmonary emboli. The treatment for Hurts’ condition will consist of using blood thinners, which will disqualify him from participating in contact activities for a while.
NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported that Hurts played in the Eagles’ Week 5 game in London after staying in the hospital until 4 a.m. the night before. Rapoport also wrote that Hurts went without sleep “because sleep was a risk.”
The Eagles placed Hurts on injured reserve prior to Week 6 with his blood clots diagnosis, so he was already going to miss at least four games. The revelation of blood clots in Hurts’ lungs over the weekend made clear that his recovery will take more time – likely the rest of the season, according to reports.
Blood clots in lungs? What ‘bilateral pulmonary emboli’ means
Hurts’ latest diagnosis is “a deep vein thrombosis, as well as bilateral pulmonary emboli,” according to his agent’s statement.
Deep vein thrombosis “occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs,” according to Mayo Clinic. That differs from Hurts’ initial diagnosis of a superficial blood clot, which are clots in veins closer to the skin and are less dangerous than deep vein thrombosis diagnoses.
A pulmonary embolism is “a blood clot that blocks and stops blood flow to an artery in the lung,” according to Mayo Clinic. In medical terminology, “bilateral” means affecting both sides of the body or both of a pair of organs.
So, in Hurts’ case, “bilateral pulmonary emboli” means the quarterback has blood clots affecting both lungs.
How do you get blood clots in your lungs?
For a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot in the lung – to happen, the most common cause is a blood clot traveling from a deep vein in a leg, according to Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms of pulmonary embolism include shortness of breath, chest pain and fainting. Other common symptoms that can occur are rapid or irregular heartbeat, lightheadedness or dizziness, fever, or leg pain/swelling, most often in the back of the lower leg.
Who is Jalen Hurts’ backup?
The Eagles have Tanner McKee listed as Hurts’ backup on their official depth chart.
McKee was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles out of Stanford in 2023. Prior to the 2026 season, McKee had appeared in six games with two starts and a 1-1 record.
The 26-year-old made his seventh career appearance and third career start in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers. McKee was 26-of-45 (57.8%) passing, with 215 yards and a touchdown in the matchup in Philadelphia. He also took three sacks.
With Hurts likely out for the season, McKee is in line to be the Eagles’ starter for the rest of the year.
How did Jalen Hurts’ blood clot get worse?
USA TODAY Sports’ Chris Bumbaca contacted Harvard professor and hematology expert Dr. Rushad Patell to understand how Hurts’ initial superficial clot diagnosis could have progressed into deep vein thrombosis and eventually bilateral pulmonary emboli.
Jalen Hurts instructed not to sleep before London game
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and The Ringer and Netflix’s Tom Pelissero, doctors in London told Hurts not to sleep before playing against the Jaguars in Week 5.
Hurts had been awake for approximately 36 hours when he took the field for kickoff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Eagles went on to lose to the Jaguars on a last-second field goal.
Eagles QB depth chart
With Hurts reportedly out for the season, here’s how Philadelphia’s quarterback depth chart looks:
- Tanner McKee
- Cole Payton
- Joe Milton III
- Jalen Hurts (IR – blood clots)
McKee has been with the Eagles since they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Payton is a fifth-round rookie out of North Dakota State and was a two-time FCS national champion with the Bison.
Milton is on his third team since the Patriots drafted him in the sixth round in 2024. New England traded him to the Dallas Cowboys last April, and the Eagles signed Milton off of the Cowboys’ practice squad on Friday, Oct. 16 after Hurts’ injury.
Other athletes who battled blood clots
USA TODAY Sports’ Danielle Lerner explored how Hurts’ recent diagnosis compares to the cases of six other pro athletes that handled their own issues with blood clots in the past. The star-studded list includes Serena Williams, Chris Bosh and Victor Wembanyama.
Nick Sirianni addresses Jalen Hurts’ blood clot situation
The Eagles’ head coach spoke to the media at a virtual press conference on Monday, Oct. 19, where he faced multiple questions about the team’s decision to let Hurts play on limited sleep before flying home on a transatlantic flight.
Asked whether he and the team should have handled the situation differently, Sirianni deflected by saying he was not a medical expert. He said he trusted the Eagles’ medical staff and their decision-making when it came to clearing Hurts for the game and for taking the flight back from London to the United States.
“The health of our players is always at the forefront of our mind. We’ll leave that up to the medical experts, but we always, always care deeply about our players,” Sirianni said.
Another reporter asked Sirianni why Hurts was allowed to fly home given that he had already received his initial diagnosis of a superficial blood clot. The coach once again deflected by saying he was not a medical expert and directed reporters to the Eagles’ joint statement with Lynn, Hurts’ agent.
Sirianni said some of the questions from reporters felt like they “questioned” his and the training staff’s relationship with the players.
“Kinda feels like you’re questioning [our connection and our team]. I know you guys have a job to do, but I’ve got the relationship with the players that I have because of the time that we spend together and because of the care that we have for each other. I get all the questions, I know you guys have questions about this, but we care deeply about our guys,” Sirianni said.
The Eagles’ head coach also did not deny that Hurts would be out for the year when a reporter asked how the quarterback was handling the news that he’d miss the season.
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