Dak Prescott delivers message to NFL players after Jalen Hurts' blood-clot diagnosis

The Cowboys quarterback called Hurts' condition "scary" and encouraged athletes to communicate openly with medical personnel

Oct 15, 2026 at 7:13 pm ET • 1 min read

FRISCO, Texas -- News of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts being ruled out in Week 6 with a superficial blood clot shook many NFL players, including rival Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

"It's scary when you get things like that. Blood clots, you're talking about someone's life, especially with the plane trip and all that they took," Prescott said. "Yeah, it's scary. If you're feeling something, speak up on it. I'm fortunate I have [my personal physical therapist] Luke Miller. He's on things before I'm on things at times. I try to blow things off, and he's like 'no, no let's look at this. Let me get a better check on it.' I encourage people to be open about their body and learn about their body." 

In a statement about the injury, the Eagles said Hurts visited the training room on Thursday, Oct. 8, after practice to receive treatment on his calf. Philadelphia had an ultrasound of his calf done on Saturday after the team flew to London for their Week 5 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it picked up a superficial blood clot. In tandem with London doctors, the team's medical staff decided Hurts could play safely. After a follow-up ultrasound, it was discovered Hurts' blood clot had moved, so the Eagles ruled him out for their Week 6 game against the Carolina Panthers, saying "his health and safety are our highest priority." 

Prescott's message to other athletes in light of this situation is straightforward: have open conversations with your team's training staff. He acknowledged there can sometimes be a stigma to doing so as an NFL player, but there's nothing wrong with putting things on their radar. 

"I'm in a fortunate situation now being this far into my career, but it's about making good relationships with those guys [the training staff]," Prescott said. "Tell them everything. You can get a heads up on it. You can tell them and just say 'it's fine, but I'm letting you know.' I encourage all athletes: don't be shy if something is bothering you. Speak up on it. This is a tough man's sport at the end of the day, so let them know if you're fine like 'hey, I'm just warning you. I'm just alerting you, so you can get ahead of things like this.'"