The National Football League and the NFL Players Association are working together to review the medical handling and protocol adherence surrounding Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ recent blood clot diagnosis. The joint review follows statements from league leadership expressing confidence in the medical staff’s decisions while welcoming a thorough examination of the events.
Earlier in the week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the situation, stating that the league welcomed an investigation after Dr. Allen Sills, the league’s chief medical officer, delivered a passionate defense of the team’s medical personnel. Goodell indicated that initial reviews suggested established league protocols were properly observed during the medical evaluation process.
“Obviously, there was a medical evaluation, and I think our protocols were incredibly good there,” Goodell said. “The protocols were followed. Our process is to make sure that’s the case, and our chief medical officer has gone through that, so we’re comfortable that what we’ve seen in the protocols have happened.”
The timeline of events began when Hurts sustained an injury during an Oct. 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams, where he took a cleat to his calf area. According to the Eagles, Hurts subsequently informed the team’s medical staff about the injury following a practice session on Oct. 8.
The following day, Oct. 9, the quarterback participated in practice before the team traveled internationally to London for a scheduled matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While abroad, specialists diagnosed Hurts with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis, a form of blood clot.
Despite the diagnosis received overseas, Hurts was cleared to play and appeared in the game against Jacksonville on Oct. 11. The collaborative review by the league and the union aims to examine whether all safety guidelines and evaluation standards were appropriately met throughout the sequence of events.
