NFL QB in hospital at 4am before London game due to blood clots

In short:

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected miss the rest of the NFL season due to blood clots in his lungs.

According to an ESPN report, Hurts was in the hospital in London until 4am on the day of a game earlier this month.

What's next?

The Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys, a division rival, next Tuesday AEDT.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has blood clots in both lungs, according to his team and his agent, with media reports saying the former Super Bowl MVP is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season.

Hurts was clinically stable but his treatment would involve blood thinners, which would rule him out of contact activities, the Eagles and agent Nicole Lynn said in a statement.

The 28-year-old was initially diagnosed with a left calf superficial vein thrombosis after an ultrasound in London before Philadelphia's 19-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which Hurts played in.

The current diagnosis is a deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. A bilateral pulmonary embolism is where a blood clot travels from a deep vein in the body, often the leg, and blocks an artery in both lungs.

"Jalen's prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery," the statement said. 

"We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners." 

It said no long-term effects were expected.

According to an ESPN report, Hurts was in the hospital in London until 4am on the day of the game and did not sleep the night before the contest as a health precaution.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, local time, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said the team cared about its players and he trusted the medical staff.

"I'm a football coach. I lean on our medical experts in every situation. I have full trust and full faith in them," Sirianni said.

"We get medical information from our guys, and we always put the players' health first and foremost in every situation. And, you know, that's where we were there."

The Eagles said in a statement on Thursday that their medical staff and doctors in London reviewed the ultrasound results and concluded that "activity and mobility were important" and that Hurts could safely play in the game against the Jaguars, adding that he "played without limitation".

Hurts guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl title in February 2025, throwing for two touchdowns and running in another against the Kansas City Chiefs to earn the game's Most Valuable Player trophy.