The NFL won’t punish the Philadelphia Eagles for how the team handled the blood clots suffered by quarterback Jalen Hurts, according to multiple reports published Tuesday.
League officials determined that the issue — which started as a calf injury before evolving into a superficial blood clot before a diagnosis of pulmonary emboli and deep vein thrombosis — was “handled appropriately,” The Athletic reported.
In a statement released Tuesday, the NFL said officials had been in contact with Eagles medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the process of Hurts being treated.
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“The league’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, arranges for medical resources with leading providers in every international market with approval from the NFL Players Association,” the league said. “Medical care for players is provided by club medical staff in coordination with independent doctors.”
Dr. Sills offered a passionate defense of how the Eagles treated Hurts, following a statement from the league that said officials had been in contact with Philadelphia’s medical personnel and the Cleveland Clinic in London throughout the process.
“I have complete confidence in the Eagles’ medical staff and their handling of this situation, and I would characterize their work as very conservative, very patient-focused and appropriately guarded at every step,” Sills said at the league’s annual fall meeting. “I don’t think you can take that outcome and say there was something flawed about the process. Sometimes in medicine, we do all the right things and diseases progress and other things develop. …
“In this case, everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions that might not have been diagnosed in a nonathlete.”
Meanwhile, the players’ union has called for a complete investigation.
The NFL Players Association in a statement said it was told by the league that a review was not planned.
“Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred,” the union said. “Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward.”
Multiple sources around the league confirmed Monday that Hurts would be sidelined for the remainder of the season as he receives treatment with anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners.
Hurts’ prognosis “is very good, and we expect a full recovery,” the Eagles said Monday in a joint statement with Nicole Lynn, the quarterback’s agent.
“We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume football activities when off the blood thinners,” team officials and Ms. Lynn said. “In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”
The Eagles face the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, with backup quarterback Tanner McKee expected to start for Philadelphia.
This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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