The Eagles placed quarterback Jalen Hurts on injured reserve on Saturday because of a blood clot. Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith reported that he will miss at least four games, possibly more, and will not play until Week 11 at the earliest. ESPN said the decision came after consultations with numerous doctors and experts, and described him as out indefinitely. Adam Schefter's report carried the same "numerous doctors and experts" language, per NFL Trade Rumors.
The move reverses earlier reporting. NFL Trade Rumors said Ian Rapoport and Schefter had both reported that the Eagles were not considering IR because the clot was superficial. Bleeding Green Nation and Yahoo Sports each updated a story that had said Philadelphia would not place Hurts on IR. The updated version said the team went the other way just after that story went up. Only ESPN and the NFL Trade Rumors summary describe the reasoning, which was medical consultation. Neither says what changed. The feeds also don't say where the clot is, beyond the earlier "superficial" description. They don't say whether Hurts needs a procedure or medication, or what would decide his return.
CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani ran a cardiologist's view of the case. The piece covers how Hurts' condition differs from a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), what standard treatment looks like, and what could set the recovery timeline. We only have the summary, so we can't say what the expert concluded about when Hurts could return. The Week 11 figure comes from the PFT report, which Yahoo's feed repeated.
Hurts played all five games this season, and the offense has had trouble with him on the field. He has 933 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and 13 sacks, on 57.8 percent completions and 6.1 yards per attempt. He also has 107 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. His best game was the opener against Washington, when he threw three touchdowns for a 122.2 rating. In the three games since he has thrown for 153, 93 and 220 yards. He took four sacks against the Rams and lost no fumbles despite fumbling twice at Jacksonville.
The team around him has slipped. Philadelphia is 2-3 and has lost three straight: 27-7 at Chicago, 24-20 to the Rams, and 19-17 at Jacksonville last Sunday. Its run differential is -20. It sits second in the NFC East, 1.5 games behind the Giants (3-1), and level with Dallas at 2-3. The Eagles are 0.5 games ahead of Washington (1-3 in the table).
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The first game without Hurts is Sunday against Carolina at home. The Panthers are 2-2 and lead the NFC South. The reporting doesn't say who will start. With a four-game minimum on IR and Week 11 the earliest return, Philadelphia has a long stretch to play before it knows when Hurts is back.
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