The Philadelphia Eagles have faced a season full of injuries, and fans are once again left heartbroken and stunned after the announcement that quarterback Jalen Hurts had been sidelined with an injury.
While football injuries such as sprains, fractures, and concussion are common within the NFL, and the sport as a whole. Hurts however was sidelined for an injury involving blood clots, which is beyond a typical injury within the sport, and has raised concerns regarding the quarterback’s overall health and future within football.
According to initial reports, Hurts was diagnosed with a blood clot in his calf, but further testing revealed a more severe condition, this being deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning that blood clots had traveled to his lungs. DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, oftentimes the leg. Medical experts warn that these clots can become life-threatening if they break loose and travel through the bloodstream. Once a blood clot reaches the lungs it can cause a pulmonary embolism, a condition that can restrict blood flow, reduce oxygen levels, and place enormous stress on the heart and lungs.
For Hurts this diagnosis means more than just missing a few games. The quarterback is reportedly being treated with blood-thinning medication, which helps prevent the formation of additional blood clots, but also makes playing contact sports extremely dangerous. Football is an especially dangerous contact sport because it involves frequent collisions, meaning that players taking blood thinners cannot safely participate until doctors determine that the risk has passed.
The seriousness of Hurts’ condition has created uncertainty about a timeline for his recovery, with reports indicating that there is no immediate timetable for his return, and many assuming that he will be sidelined for an extended period of time.
Beyond the implications that the injury has on Hurts’ football career, the primary concern is the player’s long-term health. Medical professionals emphasize that depending on their severity pulmonary embolisms can have lasting effects on lung function and overall cardiovascular health. Reports have stated that Hurts is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery, although the recovery process will require careful monitoring and treatment. Hurts’ injury has also highlighted how quickly a seemingly minor issue can escalate into a major medical emergency, with what reportedly began as a calf injury becoming a much more serious condition involving blood clots in the lungs.
The announcement of Hurts’ injury has since drawn controversy, with many taking to social media to question the timeline of this injury. Hurts was originally said to have a calf injury after being cleated during a Los Angeles Rams game, but was later cleared to play when the Eagles traveled to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars, only being benched prior to facing the Carolina Panthers. Since this came to light critics have questioned whether the seriousness of Hurts’ situation was fully understood at the time he was cleared to play, but defenders have argued that medicine often involves evolving diagnoses.
For Eagles fans, the loss of their franchise quarterback is significant. However, the focus right now goes beyond wins and losses, and becomes a conversation about the health of players in the NFL. Blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolisms are medical conditions that can affect a person’s life long after the final whistle, and need to be treated as such.
