According to people with knowledge of the situation, the Eagles have no intention of moving Jalen Hurts to injured reserve, though the quarterback remains out of action for an unspecified period while being treated for a superficial blood clot. People with knowledge of the situation also indicated that no internal discussions around placing Hurts on injured reserve — a move that would keep him out of action for at least four weeks — had taken place at the team level.
Those close to Hurts view the clot as manageable and say he is weighing his options for treatment, according to people with knowledge of the situation. The team and its quarterback are gathering further data and consulting additional specialists, with his physical wellbeing placed at the top of any decision-making process. Physicians overseeing Hurts's recovery hold authority over any timetable for his return to the field, and the Eagles organization has indicated it will defer to that process.
Placing Hurts on injured reserve remains a possibility, with that path depending on where the medical data ultimately points.
Anticoagulant medications — commonly referred to as blood thinners — serve as the standard treatment approach for the majority of blood clot cases. Athletes taking anticoagulant medication are barred from competition until their treatment concludes. According to those familiar with the matter, patients receiving a moderate anticoagulant dose typically need to remain on it for at least six weeks before treatment can be reconsidered.
When a clot is small enough, physicians may opt to begin treatment with anti-inflammatory medication alone, keeping the patient under close observation throughout. When a clot travels, as physicians reported occurred with Hurts, anticoagulant therapy tends to be the standard treatment path. Should the clot show any deterioration, anticoagulant therapy spanning around three months would become the recommended path forward.
Doctors around the league who have not personally evaluated Hurts have expressed the view that the blood clot may keep him out for multiple weeks, though those within the organization have not ruled out a week-to-week designation. A physician attached to one club sent a text message to a broadcast outlet explaining that recovery timelines vary depending on factors such as injury size, anatomical location, and blood-work findings, placing a possible window at around six weeks — a view that aligned with the independent assessment offered by a doctor from a second club.
On Thursday, the Eagles released a detailed written account explaining how the blood clot was identified and why Hurts will not be available for the upcoming game against the Carolina Panthers.
Roster additions took shape on the Eagles' end throughout the period Hurts spent undergoing treatment. Tanner McKee, currently serving as the team's backup signal-caller, has been named the starter for the matchup against the Panthers, while undrafted newcomer Cole Payton steps into the second-string role. Quarterback Joe Milton was claimed from Dallas' practice squad and added to Philadelphia's roster. Under NFL regulations, Milton is required to remain on the Eagles' active roster for a span of three weeks.
Four roster disruptions have reshaped the offensive unit: hamstring injuries have sidelined both Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson stepped away from the game through retirement, and Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens departed via trade. Barkley has been ruled out for Sunday's contest, though the organization views a return the following week as an attainable target.
