Jalen Hurts out for season after lung blood clots

The Philadelphia Eagles placed quarterback Jalen Hurts on season-ending injured reserve Monday after doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs, a diagnosis that derails the defending Super Bowl champions and leaves a 2-4 roster dependent on Tanner McKee.

Hurts, 28, will not play again in 2026. The team said he is “clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations” but cannot participate in football activities while undergoing treatment. He plans to stay with the team during his recovery.

The 2024 Super Bowl MVP had thrown for 933 yards and eight touchdowns through five games before a calf clot forced him to sit out Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers. McKee started that game. Philadelphia lost 25-14, its fourth straight defeat.

Pulmonary embolisms — clots traveling from the legs to the lungs — carry mandatory months-long anticoagulation protocols in professional sports. Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker was sidelined for half a season in 2022 under similar circumstances. NFL medical staffs rarely clear players for contact until imaging confirms complete clot resolution, effectively ending any realistic return timeline for a player diagnosed this late in October.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith reacted bluntly on air. “The Eagles are done,” Smith declared, dismissing the franchise’s chances of mounting a playoff run behind a backup. Smith wished Hurts well personally but offered zero optimism regarding the roster’s viability without its starter.

McKee now inherits an offense averaging just 14 points over the past month. His first test comes next Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys, who also sit at 2-4. Both teams entered the season with postseason expectations that have since collapsed.

Philadelphia drafted McKee in the sixth round in 2023. He has attempted 38 regular-season passes prior to the Carolina start. Head coach Nick Sirianni must restructure a playbook built around Hurts’ dual-threat capabilities within six days.