The NFL Players Association is calling for a “full investigation” into how the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles handled the medical care of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts played for the Eagles in the team’s Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London after being diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf. However, after being pulled from the team’s Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers, it was announced that Hurts was being treated for deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary embolism, and was being treated with blood thinners.
Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season.
On Tuesday, league officials defended how the Eagles player was treated while in London.
“The idea that any of our doctors have external factors that could injure a player is nonsense,” said Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. It was also reported that the league will not penalize the Eagles for how Hurts’ medical condition was handled and that the NFL determined the team did not violate league policy.
However, the NFLPA disagrees with that assessment and issued a statement Tuesday night calling for a “full investigation” into how his care was handled:
“The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigation into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league has previously informed the union that it does not plan to review the care he received. A full investigation of what happened must be done before any conclusions can be drawn about how this situation was handled. Finding the facts is critical to ensuring the highest level of care and protection for the players.”
Hurts was hospitalized in London the day before the Jaguars game and returned to the team hotel at 3 a.m. local time. He was reportedly able to sleep until the team went to the stadium at 10:30 a.m. for the game against Jacksonville.
This is a developing story and will be updated.