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The Philadelphia Eagles delivered a sobering update on Monday regarding the health of star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is now dealing with a serious blood clotting condition. Initially, the team had ruled Hurts out for Week 6 after diagnosing him with a superficial clot in his calf. However, subsequent testing has revealed a more severe prognosis, and following his placement on injured reserve last week, ESPN reports that Hurts is not expected to return for the remainder of the 2026 season.
In a statement released by the Eagles and Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, the team expressed confidence that Hurts will achieve a "full recovery" with "no long-term effects." Historically, blood clotting issues have been particularly delicate for athletes; some cases have ended careers, while others have led to extended absences before players eventually returned to action.
Below is a closer look at Hurts' updated diagnosis and how other prominent athletes have navigated blood clot concerns, including the impact on their respective careers.
Jalen Hurts' Recovery Timeline
Further medical evaluation has shown that Hurts' recovery period will be more extensive than what was initially anticipated when he was diagnosed with a superficial clot in his calf. ESPN now indicates that Hurts will likely miss the rest of the 2026 campaign after being placed on injured reserve prior to Week 6.
According to a statement released on Monday, Hurts has undergone "comprehensive medical evaluations." He was first diagnosed by specialists in London with left calf superficial vein thrombosis. However, additional testing revealed deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli; per ESPN, doctors discovered multiple blood clots in his lungs.
The release noted that Hurts is "clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations." His recovery plan involves blood thinners, but he will be prohibited from participating in any contact activities. The team expects a full recovery once Hurts is able to discontinue blood thinners, with "no long-term effects." ESPN reports that Hurts' treatment for the blood clots will take "at least three months," which would put him on a timeline for a return to activities by mid-January 2027 at the earliest—a time when the regular season will have concluded.
Blood Clot History Among NFL Players
Several NFL players have dealt with blood clot issues in the past.
Chris Olave: Last season, Saints wide receiver Chris Olave missed the team's Week 18 game against the Falcons due to a blood clot in his lungs, ESPN reported. He had no prior history of blood clotting issues and was expected to recover within a month; Olave ultimately returned for the Saints' offseason program and the 2026 regular season. While the wide receiver has separately dealt with concussion issues and even considered retirement at one point, he was able to recover from the lung clot in a relatively short period.
Christian Barmore: Prior to the 2024 season, Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots, putting him out indefinitely as training camp began. Barmore was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list and was sidelined for New England's first two months of the regular season. He was activated on Nov. 16 and made his season debut shortly after, but on Dec. 19, he was placed back on the reserve/non-football injury list due to "recurring symptoms." The team stated, "The New England Patriots are placing defensive lineman Christian Barmore on the reserve non-football illness list after he experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation. We appreciate everything Christian did to return to the team this season, but our top priority is Christian's health and wellbeing. We know that he will continue to receive tremendous care and we want to ensure that he gets the time he needs to come back stronger than ever." After appearing in just four games in 2024, Barmore recovered for a fully healthy 2025 season, playing all 17 games for the Patriots.
Trey Smith: When current Chiefs offensive lineman Trey Smith was at Tennessee, he was ruled out during his sophomore season due to blood clotting issues. Members of the Volunteers' medical staff found blood clots in Smith's lungs and ruled him out indefinitely. Smith had previously dealt with a similar issue in the offseason that was thought to have been resolved. He missed the remainder of the 2018 season for Tennessee but was cleared to return for his junior season in 2019. He played another season in college before entering the NFL in 2021.
Taylor Moton: More recently, Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton has dealt with blood clots. The offensive lineman said he had coughed up blood before being diagnosed with multiple blood clots in late June, per ESPN. He dealt with the issues into training camp and the regular season. Prior to Week 6, Moton practiced in pads for the first time in 2026, with the Panthers activating his 21-day practice window on the non-football injury (NFI) list. Per ESPN, Moton said he experienced symptoms after a youth football camp over the summer that eventually led to the discovery of multiple blood clots in his right lung. As of Oct. 13, he had been off blood thinners for a "couple of weeks," recovering and beginning to ramp up for his return.
Blood Clot History in Other Sports
Several notable athletes in other sports have also faced blood clot issues.
Chris Bosh: One instance where an athlete was forced to retire due to blood clots was longtime NBA star Chris Bosh, who starred alongside Dwyane Wade and LeBron James for the Heat in the 2010s. Bosh remained with Miami after James departed for Cleveland in 2014, but during the 2014-15 season, the center began to deal with blood clot concerns. Initially, Bosh was ruled out in December 2014 with a calf strain. He missed eight games, returned to the floor and played in the All-Star Game, then was ruled out in February 2015 for the remainder of the season due to a blood clot found in his lungs. Bosh returned from that initial diagnosis in October 2015 and enjoyed a strong season for a few months, averaging 19.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. But again, around February 2016, Bosh was forced to withdraw from the All-Star Game due to a calf injury that led to another diagnosis of a blood clot in his leg. Soon after, the Heat shut down Bosh for the season, and he never played another NBA game. Initially, the star center was optimistic about returning for 2016-17, but he continued to deal with blood clotting issues. He failed a physical in September 2016, and shortly after, team president Pat Riley said he believed Bosh's Heat career was over. Bosh did not play in 2016-17, reaching an agreement with the Heat to be paid his full salary without it counting against the team's cap. The NBA ruled in June 2017 that Bosh's blood clotting was a career-ending illness, removing his contract from Miami's books, and he was subsequently let go by the team. Bosh was initially unwilling to rule out a return to the NBA, but by February 2019, he made it clear that he was no longer pursuing a comeback. His jersey was retired by the Heat, and his playing career was officially over.
Victor Wembanyama: Before superstar Spurs center Victor Wembanyama led his team to the NBA Finals last season, his 2024-25 season was ended early due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Wembanyama had just earned his first All-Star nod in January 2025 when the Spurs announced weeks later that he was being shut down for the remainder of the season due to the blood-clotting issue. At the time, the young star center had been enjoying an elite season following his Rookie of the Year campaign and was the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. Instead, Wembanyama did not play another game in 2024-25. He made a full recovery for the 2025-26 season, though, emerging as one of the NBA's best players and making a run to his first NBA Finals.
Damian Lillard: During the 2024-25 season, then-Bucks star guard Damian Lillard was ruled out indefinitely in March due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, a similar diagnosis to Wembanyama's around two months prior. Lillard's timeline wasn't as significant, however. He returned for the playoffs by mid-April, playing against the Pacers. While the injury wasn't necessarily connected to his blood clotting issue, Lillard then tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 against Indiana; he was unable to put weight on his foot after a non-contact injury. While Lillard's blood clotting concern only lasted a few weeks, the Achilles tear resulted in him missing the entire 2025-26 season.
Serena Williams: In March 2011, tennis star Serena Williams confirmed that she had suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism. After a serious foot laceration the year prior, with long periods of immobility and travel, Williams began experiencing shortness of breath and swelling in her leg. Doctors found multiple blood clots traveling to her lungs. While treated with blood thinners for the lung clots, Williams developed a large hematoma (pooled blood) in her stomach area, requiring emergency surgery in February 2011. Williams later said the incident left her "on my death bed" and that she was "lucky to be alive." Between the foot injury and the blood clotting, she was sidelined from tennis for around 10 months, eventually returning in the summer of 2011. Later, in September 2017, Williams gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, via an emergency C-section. With a history of blood clots, Williams said she began experiencing shortness of breath after giving birth, and more life-threatening blood clots were found. The blood thinners used to treat the clots caused a hemorrhage at her C-section site, and her stitches burst due to severe coughing fits. After multiple emergency surgeries, Williams spent around six weeks bedridden during her early days of motherhood, later sharing the details of her health experiences. By December 2017, she was able to return to tennis for an exhibition match.
Originally reported by sportingnews.