Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was sidelined for a game against the Carolina Panthers after an ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot in his calf following a game impact.
Why Did Jalen Hurts Miss the Game Against the Panthers?
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts missed the team’s game after medical evaluations revealed a movement in a small blood clot in his calf. Hurts was struck in the calf during an October 4 game and sought treatment four days later, according to a statement from the team. An initial ultrasound performed in London, where the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 11, 2026, detected the superficial clot, but doctors cleared him to play in the team’s game there the next day.
A follow-up ultrasound on a Wednesday night revealed movement in the small clot. Consequently, the Eagles announced Thursday that Hurts would sit out the Sunday matchup against the Carolina Panthers while the team determines his treatment.
What Is the Difference Between a Superficial Clot and Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Superficial blood clots form in veins sitting close to the surface, directly underneath the skin and in the surrounding tissue. Dr. William Shutze—who serves as vice president of the Society for Vascular Surgery and works as a vascular surgeon at Texas Vascular Associates in Dallas, and who did not participate in treating Hurts—pointed out that our bodies depend on an interconnected highway system of veins to route blood.
By contrast, deep vein thrombosis involves a clot forming in deep veins running within the muscles of the arms and legs, carrying the bulk of blood returning to the heart. Dr. Stephan Moll, who operates an Athletes and Blood Clots Clinic as a professor of medicine and hematologist at the University of North Carolina without having any involvement in Hurts’ medical treatment, mentioned that superficial clots typically present as a knot or pencil-like feeling under the skin. Deep vein thrombosis symptoms are more widespread, causing entire calves or ankles to become swollen and painful without the ability to physically feel the affected vein.
How Do Contact Sports Impact Clot Risks?
Athletes face distinct risks regarding blood clots due to physical trauma and the demands of competitive sports. Shutze raised concerns about athletes taking impacts on areas where a clot already exists, while Moll noted that football involves constant significant contact that raises the risk of serious bleeding, including inside the head or muscles. Furthermore, blood thinners introduce an additional concern because injuries causing bleeding become much more dangerous when blood does not clot readily.
Athletes frequently minimize clinical symptoms because they want to stay on the roster, according to Moll. Physicians advise players and active individuals to pay attention when discomfort feels different, persists, or worsens. Pain, swelling, discoloration, and warmth can signal a clot, while tightness in the leg or redness around a superficial clot can resemble an infection.
What Are the Clinical Concerns and Treatment Protocols?
Many superficial clots remain stable and resolve without blood thinners. However, complications arise if a clot grows into a deeper vein, allowing a piece to break off and travel to the lungs to cause a pulmonary embolism. Physicians utilize ultrasounds to assess clots and check for deep-vein involvement, paying particular attention to superficial clots longer than 5 centimeters or located within 3 centimeters of where a superficial vein joins a deep one, as Shutze explained.
Dr. Alina Mitina, who works as an emergency medicine physician at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey and was not connected to Hurts’ care, observed that even top-tier physical fitness does not provide protection against blood clots. Injuries damage veins, prolonged inactivity slows blood flow, and factors such as surgery, inherited clotting disorders, cancer, and pregnancy elevate risk. Veins near the skin possess less cushioning during impacts, leaving them vulnerable to direct trauma.
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific details did the Philadelphia Eagles release about the clot?
The Eagles announced that a follow-up ultrasound revealed movement in a small blood clot, prompting them to rule Hurts out for the Sunday game against the Carolina Panthers while determining treatment.
Who examined the medical dynamics of superficial clots for this case?
Medical insights regarding the condition were provided by Dr. William Shutze, a vascular surgeon at Texas Vascular Associates, Dr. Stephan Moll, a hematologist at the University of North Carolina, and Dr. Alina Mitina, an emergency medicine physician at Hackensack University Medical Center.
When was the initial clot detected during the Eagles’ schedule?
The initial superficial clot was discovered via ultrasound in London, where the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 11, 2026.
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