Understanding Jalen Hurts’ Blood Clot: What the Science Says

The Philadelphia Eagles confirmed that quarterback Jalen Hurts is out for the rest of the season after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. A superficial blood clot was initially discovered in Hurts' calf prior to the Eagles' 19-17 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on October 11th. Hurts was cleared to play following medical consultation, but further assessment has since revealed movement in the blood clot. The injury is the product of a thrombus, or blood clot, developing deep in your body because your veins are injured or the blood flowing through them is too sluggish, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Hurt's blood clot is being described as provoked, meaning the prognosis is favorable with treatment, which will include blood thinners as he was cleared in his calf. The injury has varying outcomes, with Hall of Famer Chris Bosh having to cut his career short in 2016 after suffering consecutive blood clots in his leg. Bosh was taking blood thinning medication to treat the injury, which left him susceptible to excessive bleeding due to the contact nature of basketball. In 2019, NBA player Brandon Ingram, then a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, was diagnosed with a deep venous thrombosis in his right arm, ruling him out for the rest of that season. The 27-year-old, who hasn't had any blood clot issues since, underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery before going on to win Most Improved Player of the Year the following season. Similarly, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama missed a large portion of the 2024-25 season due to deep vein thrombosis, but would return the following campaign.