Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 NFL season because of blood clots in both lungs. The team and his agent announced the diagnosis on October 19, 2026. The news drew wide attention because it combines a serious medical condition with the loss of a Super Bowl MVP quarterback.
The stated diagnosis is deep vein thrombosis, usually shortened to DVT, together with bilateral pulmonary emboli. DVT means a blood clot has formed in a deep vein, and bilateral pulmonary emboli means clots have traveled to both lungs. The announcement described Hurts as clinically stable with no significant functional limitations.
A pulmonary embolism is a clot that blocks blood flow in the lungs, and it is the complication that makes DVT dangerous rather than merely painful. Superficial clots sit in veins near the skin and are less likely to travel to the lungs. According to TIME, DVT clots are more likely than superficial ones to reach the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism.
The first diagnosis came after an ultrasound in London, where the Eagles were playing the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That initial finding was a superficial vein thrombosis in Hurts's left calf. In that game, according to the Associated Press, Hurts threw for 220 yards and a touchdown and the Eagles lost 19-17.
The Eagles revealed the calf clot on Thursday, October 15, 2026. On Saturday, October 17, they placed Hurts on injured reserve, which meant he would miss at least four games. He then sat out the October 18 loss to Carolina, the team's fourth straight defeat.
The calf clot alone would not have ended his season. Further testing revealed the deeper DVT and the clots in both lungs, which is what pushed the diagnosis into season-ending territory. That progression from a superficial finding to bilateral pulmonary emboli is the central medical fact in the story.
The stated treatment is anticoagulation, meaning blood-thinning medication, with no surgery reported. While taking those medicines, Hurts cannot take part in contact activities, including football. This is why the timeline for any return is tied to the medication rather than to a fixed recovery date.
Blood thinners reduce the body's ability to stop bleeding, so a hit in a contact sport carries added risk. Hematologist Dr. Stephan Moll told TIME, "I would not let an athlete play on blood thinners." According to TIME, treatment of this kind generally lasts at least three months.
The statement from the team and his agent said, "Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery." His agent, Nicole Lynn, said he could resume contact football once he is off the blood thinners. That leaves the return date open rather than fixed to a specific week.
The announcement came jointly from the Eagles and from Hurts's agent, Nicole Lynn. It was reported by the Associated Press, NFL.com and other outlets on October 19, 2026. The consistent reporting across those sources is why the basic facts are not in dispute.
Reports said Hurts was hospitalized in London until 4 a.m. on game day. A later report clarified that he did sleep after rejoining the team, with a room set aside for him at the stadium. The clarification matters because the earlier version suggested he had gone without sleep before playing.
Head coach Nick Sirianni spoke on October 19 and declined to give specifics about the medical timeline. He repeatedly said, "I'm not a medical expert," and expressed full support for the team's medical staff. He also confirmed that offensive coordinator Sean Mannion would keep the play-calling duties.
Losing a starting quarterback forces a team to decide who runs the offense in his absence, which is why the play-calling question came up so quickly. Sirianni's confirmation that Mannion keeps those duties settled that part of it. It also signaled that the team was not planning a broader coaching change mid-season.
Veins in the legs return blood toward the heart, so a clot that breaks loose there can travel through the bloodstream and lodge in the lungs. That path is exactly what the term pulmonary embolism describes. This is why a problem first found in the calf was later reported as a lung condition.
A calf clot is revealed on October 15, injured reserve follows on October 17, and the lung diagnosis is announced on October 19. Reading those dates in order shows how quickly the picture changed. It also explains why early coverage focused on a missed game or two rather than an entire season.
Hurts was the Super Bowl MVP in February 2025, so his absence removes the team's most established offensive leader. The Eagles were already on a four-game losing streak when the season-ending diagnosis was announced. Those two facts together are what turned a medical update into a major sports story.
Injured reserve is a roster designation that removes a player from the active list and requires him to miss a set number of games. For Hurts, that meant at least four games missed from the moment he was placed on it on October 17. The later lung diagnosis made the original minimum largely beside the point.
The exact date Hurts can return to contact football is not settled, because it depends on how long he stays on blood thinners. The team has not given a specific timeline, and Sirianni said he is not a medical expert. Anything more precise than "when off the blood thinners" goes beyond what has been stated.
The Eagles must finish the 2026 season without their starting quarterback and with a backup-led offense. That raises questions about how the remaining schedule is managed and how the roster is used. None of those questions has a settled answer at the time of the announcement.
Jalen Hurts is out for the rest of the 2026 season with deep vein thrombosis and clots in both lungs, announced on October 19, 2026. Treatment is blood thinners only, and the stated expectation is a full recovery, with contact football possible once he is off the medication. The reporting is consistent, and the open question is timing rather than whether he can return.
