Eagles place Jalen Hurts on IR as blood clots force season‑ending absence

Hurts will miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season while receiving anticoagulant treatment, with backup Tanner McKee starting.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:44:30 GMT

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been placed on injured reserve, ending his 2026 season after doctors discovered deep‑vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli, the team announced on Monday.

What happened

Initial testing in London identified superficial clots in Hurts’s left calf before the team’s October 11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Further scans later revealed multiple clots that had traveled to his lungs. The Eagles said his condition is clinically stable, but he must remain on blood thinners and cannot participate in any contact football activities.

What the reports add

The Guardian reported that Hurts was kept awake for roughly 36 hours as a precaution after a hospital stay that lasted until 4 a.m. on the night before the Jaguars game. The Independent and the Los Angeles Times both noted that Hurts’s agent Nicole Lynn confirmed the diagnosis and his stability, and that backup Tanner McKee started in a 25‑14 loss to the Carolina Panthers, dropping the Eagles to 2‑4. Bleacher Report added that earlier reports suggested injured reserve was not initially planned, but the decision changed after doctors consulted. The New York Post highlighted criticism that Hurts played the Jaguars game despite the lack of sleep and the clot risk.

What was said

"He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations," the Eagles and Lynn said in a joint statement, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners," the team added, as reported by The Guardian.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network told The Guardian that doctors advised Hurts not to sleep, leading to the 36‑hour wakefulness.

How it came about

The clot issue began with a superficial vein thrombosis diagnosis during the Eagles’ London trip on October 11. After the Jaguars loss, Hurts sought treatment for his calf on October 8, as detailed in a statement cited by Bleacher Report. The progression from calf clots to pulmonary emboli prompted the team to move him to IR, a shift from earlier reports that IR was not being considered. Earlier Felo coverage documented Hurts’s on‑field performances and criticism, including his response to Jeffery Simmons (Sept 20) and Drew Brees’s comments (Sept 20), providing context for his role before the medical setback.

Key facts

Jalen Hurts placed on injured reserve, ending his 2026 season (theguardian.com)
Diagnosed with deep‑vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli (independent.co.uk)
Condition described as clinically stable with no significant functional limitations (latimes.com)
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee started in a 25‑14 loss to the Carolina Panthers (independent.co.uk)
Initial clot detection occurred in London before the Oct 11 Jaguars game (theguardian.com)

Where accounts differ

Whether injured reserve was considered before the diagnosis: Initial reports said IR was not in the plans (bleacherreport.com); Team moved him to IR after doctors consulted (theguardian.com)