The Philadelphia Eagles have placed quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve while he receives treatment for a superficial blood clot in his calf, the club confirmed in a statement released Saturday. Hurts is set to miss four games before becoming eligible to return, with his earliest possible return coming against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 22 at Lincoln Financial Field.
The decision to place Hurts on injured reserve followed a consultation process drawing on input from several doctors and specialists tasked with assessing the quarterback's blood clot, according to reporting from two separate outlets. Both outlets independently reported that Hurts was unavailable, with no timeline for his return initially provided.
In a statement issued Thursday, the Eagles disclosed that Hurts had visited the training room after practice on October 8 to have his calf examined. He had informed medical personnel during the Rams game on October 4 that he had been struck by a cleat. His first post-game treatment on the calf was administered during that session, following two full practice days on Wednesday and Thursday.
The club's statement noted that Hurts underwent treatment and participated in a full practice session on Friday, at which point his name was added to the injury report. An ultrasound was subsequently carried out on Saturday as a precautionary measure following the squad's flight to London and a walkthrough. Imaging indicated the clot was located close to the surface of a vessel.
A team of physicians and medical personnel based in London reviewed the findings and determined that remaining active and maintaining movement posed no risk to Hurts, clearing him to participate. Physicians called for a follow-up ultrasound to be completed within 72 hours of both the game and the return trip to Philadelphia. At his Wednesday press conference, Hurts indicated something had been going on, describing the experience as "very unique, to say the least."
Tanner McKee, selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2023 draft out of Stanford, is set to start at quarterback in Hurts's absence. Across six appearances for the Eagles — two of them as starts — McKee has accumulated his career totals to date. The team noted that Hurts trained without restriction through the week, receiving treatment on Monday and Tuesday before completing a full practice on Wednesday, as reflected in the official practice report.
The Eagles' statement noted that the club had maintained contact with the league office across both the London trip and the current week to address the matter. A follow-up ultrasound conducted Wednesday evening detected movement within the small blood clot. Hurts has been ruled out of Sunday's matchup against the Panthers while the medical staff works to determine the appropriate treatment path.
A source speaking to a prominent broadcast outlet on Thursday indicated that the matter extended beyond football, adding that Hurts would need the situation resolved before returning to play.