Hurts was ruled out of the Eagles vs the Panthers game due to a blood clot, the QB was hospitalized over the weekend for further tests. The images revealed the worst: the blood clots were gone, several now found in his lungs. This changed the treatment path from “rest and management” to the need to immediately and aggressively resolve clots. The treatment plan is fairly basic: blood thinners and a monitoring regimen, and it is expected to have no lasting effects. However, there is a significant risk that the condition will worsen if Hurts participates in strenuous athletic activity.
A statement from Hurts’ agent on Monday further explained the situation.
This new diagnosis raises major questions about the Eagles’ actions leading up to their Week 5 game in London. Ian Rapoport reports that Hurts was at the hospital to watch the night. before In the game against the Jaguars and because sleep was too risky due to the clots, he had to stay up all night. This led to Hurts not sleeping the night before the game, then getting dressed and playing. Why the Eagles let this happen with their starting QB is a significant concern. How he was allowed to fly to England in the first place is debatable. What happened that allowed him to fly back Philidelphia, knowing that he struggles with blood clots, adds another layer to this whole situation.
It’s now at a point where there should be an NFL investigation into the decision-making process that led to Hurts taking the field less than 12 hours after being hospitalized for a potentially life-threatening condition.
The football side of it hardly matters, but the Eagles’ season was already in trouble and this could be the nail in the coffin. Backup QB Tanner McKee clearly lost his depth against Carolina on Sunday, managing just 215 yards through the air on 47 attempts despite playing against a Panthers secondary without both starting cornerbacks.
Sitting at 2-4, there’s still room to make the postseason in this year’s hapless NFC East, but any desire to make a significant Super Bowl run or even compete deep in the playoffs is functionally dead.