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In a forceful rebuttal on Tuesday, NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills declared that no physician takes orders from a non-medical football person, period. Sills, joined by NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller, defended the Philadelphia Eagles' medical management of quarterback Jalen Hurts' blood clots amid allegations that competitive interests may have overshadowed player safety.
Hurts received a diagnosis of a superficial blood clot in his calf on October 10 and subsequently played against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on October 11. In the following days, medical evaluations revealed that the clot had extended into the deep veins of his calf and both lungs. The Eagles placed him on injured reserve as he begins treatment with blood thinners.
Concerns arose about the safety of Hurts playing and undertaking a transatlantic flight exceeding seven hours with the clots. Miller condemned the criticism directed at team doctors as unfounded, given the progression of Hurts' condition. Sills added, "I don't think you can take that outcome and say there was something flawed about the process. Sometimes in medicine, we do all the right things and diseases progress and other things develop." He continued, "I would look at the opposite side and say, in this case, everyone was incredibly conservative and incredibly vigilant and was very quick to make diagnoses of these conditions that might not have been diagnosed in a non-athlete. Quite frankly, you or I probably would have walked around a lot longer without a diagnosis."
When questioned about whether the league would investigate the Eagles' handling of Hurts' medical care, Miller expressed confidence in the information gathered. He stated, "Talking to the Eagles staff and making sure from people on the ground, tracking the case, talking to the independent hospital and doctors involved that we have, I think, a complete understanding of the course of events."
Later on Tuesday evening, the NFL Players Association released a statement demanding greater transparency. The union asserted, "The NFLPA is not aware of any NFL investigations into the medical care provided to Jalen Hurts. In fact, the league previously informed the union that it did not plan to review the care he received. Before conclusions are drawn about how this situation was handled, there must be a full investigation into what occurred. Determining the facts is essential to ensuring players receive the highest level of care and protection going forward."
Medical Logistics and International Play
Sills also detailed the infrastructure for treating players abroad, noting that the league's medical team makes three to four trips to each international market one to two years before a game is held there. They identify partner hospitals and local physicians, including those experienced with professional athletes, and conduct emergency trainings in those cities. After games, team physicians coordinate recovery and injury treatment, including assessing whether players with injuries or illnesses can fly home. "It's not just sort of, 'Let's jump on the plane and we'll sort this out when we get back home,'" Sills said. "You're always thinking about the implications of flights [and] the medical implications of travel."
According to a person with knowledge of the treatment who spoke to Yahoo Sports, after an 8 p.m. team meeting on October 10, Hurts went to the Cleveland Clinic in London for evaluation and imaging. He returned to the hotel at 2:45 a.m., slept in his room until 10 a.m., and then went to the stadium, where he napped rather than participating in pregame warmups. In the game, Hurts completed 21 of 40 passes (52.5%) for 220 yards and a touchdown, took one sack, and rushed twice for 2 yards. The Jaguars defeated the Eagles 19-17 after returning a kickoff in the final seconds to set up kicker Cam Little for a field goal.
Cleveland Clinic professionals diagnosed Hurts with the superficial blood clot, located near the skin and above the fascia, and recommended follow-up imaging 72 hours later. Subsequent imaging showed the clot had spread. Two independent medical experts, Dr. Ben Levine and Dr. Thomas Maldonado, told Yahoo Sports in phone interviews that it is rare and unusual for a superficial clot to travel into the deep vein and then the lungs. Because superficial clots are typically contained, they do not necessitate removal from contact sports, but treating the progression with blood thinners does require avoiding contact sports. The standard duration for blood-thinning treatment is three to six months, the doctors said.
The Eagles stated that Hurts is expected to make a full recovery and return to contact sports after discontinuing blood thinners. In a joint statement with Hurts' agent, Nicole Lynn, the team said, "We anticipate that he will have no long-term effects."
Sills spoke broadly about the league's medical landscape rather than directly about Hurts' condition, citing patient privacy. He emphasized that the Eagles and consulting doctors acted with a high degree of suspicion to identify and address the issues as quickly as possible, keeping Hurts' health interests paramount. "Our first obligation as team physicians is always and evermore will be to the patient to do the right thing," Sills said. "Why? Because that's what we're licensed to do. That's our standard of care. That's the standard we're held to, that's the standard we're licensed to, that's the oath that we've pledged and that's what happens. And so any idea or any suggestion that a team physician is ever being influenced by a coach, a general manager, a team owner—it just doesn't happen."
Originally reported by yahoo.