NFL medical chief backs Eagles' handling of Jalen Hurts' blood clots

The NFL's chief medical officer has defended the Philadelphia Eagles' handling of Jalen Hurts' blood clots, with the quarterback on injured reserve and expected to miss the rest of the season. NFL.com reported that Dr. Allen Sills expressed confidence in the team's medical staff at the league's fall meeting on Tuesday.

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Sills said the care had been cautious and centred on the patient. He also stressed that a worsening medical outcome did not necessarily mean the treatment process had been flawed. The league said its officials had remained in contact with Philadelphia's medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the case.

Sills declined to discuss details of Hurts' condition because of patient privacy. According to NFL.com's report, he said the league and players' union monitor blood clots annually, and emphasised that treatment decisions depend on multiple factors. Hurts played against Jacksonville in London on October 11.

A separate statement released on Monday by the Eagles and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, described how the diagnosis had changed after additional testing and monitoring. Specialists in London initially identified a clot in a superficial vein in his left calf. The subsequent diagnosis was deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, involving clots in the lungs.

The team and Lynn said Hurts was medically stable, without major limitations on his functioning, following extensive evaluations by specialists. They said the expected treatment was anticoagulation, or blood-thinning medication. While receiving that treatment, he would not be permitted to take part in contact activities, including football. Their update did not give a date for his return to competition.

The statement nevertheless offered an encouraging assessment of his longer-term outlook. The Eagles and Lynn said they expected a full recovery without lasting effects, and anticipated an opportunity for Hurts to resume contact football after coming off the medication. In the meantime, they said he would continue conditioning and remain involved around the team, keeping his immediate recovery separate from any timetable for playing again.