NFL Eagles bench Hurts at least a month with blood clot

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will be sidelined for at least a month after the NFL team placed him on injured reserve on Saturday with a blood clot in his calf.

Hurts will undergo treatment for the clot, which had already ensured he would miss Sunday's game against Carolina in favor of backup Tanner McKee.

Hurts, the Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl 59 when the Eagles beat Kansas City in February of 2025, will miss games against Carolina, Dallas, Washington and the New York Giants before a possible return next month.

The Eagles consulted several doctors and experts about how to treat Hurts, who first sought medical treatment on his sore calf on October 8 after being stepped on in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Eagles medical staff gave Hurts an ultrasound that revealed the blood clot after a team flight to London for a game against Jacksonville.

Doctors determined Hurts could safely play in that game, and he completed 21-of-40 passes for 220 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Jaguars, then practiced back in the United States before a follow-up ultrasound showed movement in the blood clot.

That prompted the Eagles to rule out Hurts for Sunday and consultation with multiple doctors before the decision to place him on injured reserve.

The Eagles have fallen to 2-3 with three consecutive losses while Hurts has thrown for 933 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions.

The injury-hit Eagles are also without star rusher Saquon Barkley with a hamstring injury.

McKee has thrown for 597 yards and five touchdowns in six career appearances and a 1-1 record as a starter.