Jalen Hurts’ blood clot diagnosis raises questions about travel, treatment and return to play
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
An NFL investigation found the Philadelphia Eagles will not face discipline over their handling of the medical process after quarterback Jalen Hurts was diagnosed with blood clots.
While the Eagles say Hurts is expected to make a full recovery, the 28-year-old quarterback is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season after blood clots were found in his lungs.
Hurts told national media the blood clot was “provoked” after he was cleated in the calf during a 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 4. Despite seeking treatment for the injury and being listed on the team’s injury report, he boarded a seven-hour team flight to London five days later for an international game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After arriving in London on Oct. 10, Hurts saw a specialist who reportedly discovered a superficial blood clot, according to national reports. Reports later indicated that doctors advised him not to sleep, leaving him awake for 36 hours before he took the field against the Jaguars on Oct. 11.
However, Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, later clarified in a statement that although he had been kept up late, he did sleep in a room the Eagles had arranged at the stadium. Hurts finished the game with 220 passing yards and a touchdown in a 19-17 loss.
The Eagles returned to Philadelphia later that Sunday, subjecting Hurts to another seven-hour flight. On Oct. 14, doctors reevaluated him after practice and discovered the blood clot had moved. He was ruled out of the Eagles’ Week 6 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys the following day.
In a statement, the Eagles said doctors had told Hurts and the team that “activity and mobility were important and Jalen could play.” On Monday, the team released another statement confirming that Hurts’ initial diagnosis of a superficial clot in his left calf had progressed to multiple blood clots in his lungs. The Eagles added that Hurts “will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners.”
However, the NFL Players Association has called for a full investigation into the medical care Hurts received.
What causes blood clots, and why can they be dangerous?Blood clots are a normal part of the body’s response to an injury. They help stop bleeding by allowing platelets, proteins and blood cells to collect at the site of a damaged blood vessel, doctors say. But when clots form inappropriately or travel to other parts of the body, they can become dangerous.
“It’s more common in people who have a reason for their blood to be more prone to clotting,” said Dr. Kate Grossman, who is a pulmonary and critical care physician at Boone Health. “So a genetic predisposition, underlying cancer, smokers, things like that.”
Blood clots can form in superficial veins close to the skin or in deeper veins, often in the legs. The distinction matters because deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, can lead to a potentially life-threatening complication if part of the clot breaks loose and travels to the lungs, Grossman indicated.
“There’s superficial blood clots and there’s deep blood clots. So a ‘superficial’ blood clot is in a superficial vein. ‘Deep’ is in a deep vein,” Grossman said. “The deep blood clots that are deep vein thrombosis are more likely to cause more problems to possibly move and travel to the heart and the lungs and cause more damage there.”
Dr. Christopher Sampson, an emergency physician with MU Health Care, said clots in the deep veins can cause localized pain and swelling. If a piece breaks off and travels to the lungs, it can interfere with breathing and the heart’s ability to pump blood, depending on the clot’s size.
For superficial clots, treatment depends on their location and whether they are growing or moving. Some can be managed with warm compresses and anti-inflammatory medication, Grossman said, while others may require blood thinners.
The risks increase when a clot travels to the lungs, a condition known as a pulmonary embolism. Symptoms can include shortness of breath and low oxygen levels, and severe cases can damage lung tissue or strain the heart.
“The biggest concern is that it can cause strain on the heart and can lead to significant impairment and to death,” Grossman said.
How does air travel affect blood clot risk?Hurts’ diagnosis also drew attention to the risks associated with long-distance travel, particularly when a person has a known or suspected clot.
Sitting for extended periods can slow blood flow in the legs. During air travel, passengers may have limited room to stretch or move their legs, especially when luggage is stored beneath the seat in front of them.
“Air travel puts people at risk just because a lot of times you’re sitting in your seat so you’re not moving around,” Sampson said. “You may not really be moving your legs much.”
Sampson said the average person’s likelihood of developing a blood clot is about one in 5,000. Although the overall risk is low, prolonged travel is one of several factors that can increase it.
Sampson added people traveling for more than four hours, whether by plane, car or train, should make an effort to move around and stretch their legs. Staying hydrated, avoiding excessive alcohol and considering compression stockings may also help reduce risk.
Grossman says the longer someone remains inactive during a flight, the greater the risk of developing a clot. People who have recently experienced a clot may face additional concerns about a recurrence or a clot traveling from the legs to the lungs.
“There’s no kind of hard set rule that you absolutely cannot travel, especially if you have a superficial blood clot,” Grossman said. “Certainly there are precautions that you would want to take if you’re doing a long flight.”
The decision to travel with a clot depends on the individual circumstances, including the clot’s location and whether it is stable. Anyone with a recent diagnosis should consult their treating physician about the risks before taking a long trip.
A blood clot diagnosis does not necessarily mean a person must remain on bed rest. In many cases, gentle movement is encouraged, though the appropriate level of activity depends on the patient’s condition and treatment.
“In the past it used to be recommended that you do bedrest and that is not recommended anymore,” Grossman said. “Gentle activity is absolutely recommended. After a blood clot, you want to get moving. You don’t want to do anything that hurts or that causes shortness of breath. But movement is fine. There’s no increased risk with normal movement.”
For professional athletes, however, returning to competition presents additional challenges, particularly when treatment involves anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners.
Those medications help prevent existing clots from growing and new ones from forming. But they also increase the risk of serious bleeding, making contact sports especially dangerous while a player is taking them.
“The biggest risk with sports and injuries like this in blood clots is that the treatment of it is anticoagulation, or thinning your blood to prevent further blood clots to form,” Grossman said. “So you absolutely shouldn’t be doing any kind of contact sport after a blood clot when you’re being treated on blood thinners.”
Sampson said decisions about an athlete’s return to play depend on medical advice and the circumstances of the sport.
“For someone who’s involved in professional sports, really a lot of it’s going to come down to the advice of their physicians and coaches,” Sampson said.
Grossman emphasized that each case requires an individualized assessment.
“I think each case is kind of its own scenario, and I would hope that all of these athletes have people who are looking out for their best interests,” she said.
The Eagles have said Hurts will be able to resume contact football activities once he is no longer taking blood thinners. The timeline will depend on his recovery and medical team’s guidance.
What are the warning signs of a blood clot?Recognizing symptoms early can help people get treatment before a clot causes more serious complications.
Grossman and Sampson say signs of a clot in the leg can include swelling, pain or tenderness, particularly when one leg is noticeably more swollen or painful than the other. The risk may be higher after a long trip, recent surgery, illness or a period of limited mobility.
“If you’re someone who did have a very long travel in a car or in a plane, if you’re someone who’s not moving around that much because you’ve been sick recently or you’ve had some kind of orthopedic surgery and you’re laid up for a while and you develop swelling in one leg more than the other leg, or pain in one leg more than the other leg, that’s absolutely a warning sign that you should get seen,” Grossman said.
A clot that travels to the lungs can cause sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, a rapid heartbeat or fainting. Those symptoms can indicate a medical emergency and warrant immediate medical attention.
Although blood clots can occur in people with identifiable risk factors, they can also affect people without an obvious cause. Both experts emphasized the importance of recognizing symptoms and seeking medical evaluation when they appear.
For Hurts, the Eagles have said his prognosis is very good. His diagnosis, however, underscores how a clot initially identified in the leg can become a more serious condition and why decisions about travel, treatment and returning to physical activity require careful medical assessment.
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